Reality Show Giving Away Trip To International Space Station
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The Discovery Channel is giving one lucky wannabe astronaut the chance to go to the International Space Station.
One day, sometime in the future, we’ll all be able to hop on a rocket. It’ll cost a fortune, obviously, but space tourism is at the forefront of innovation, whether it’s Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Tom Cruise battling Russia to make the first film in space, or Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic.
What about those who want to do more than see the stars? What about the people who’d love to join NASA on their expeditions beyond the atmosphere? Well, if this sounds like you, a new reality show is set to blast one person off to the ISS.
The Discovery Channel is currently looking for 10 contestants for Who Wants to Be An Astronaut? – a new, eight-episode reality show looking for the right candidate to go to space.
‘We’d like a diverse group of people that each have their own story, why they want to go to space, why they’re worthy of going to space, what their back story is,’ Jay Peterson, president of Boat Rocker Studios, Unscripted, which is co-producing the show, told The New York Times.
NASA recently revealed it had signed an agreement with Houston-based Axiom Space for the first private flight to the ISS. While unconfirmed, it’s expected the winner of Who Wants To Be An Astronaut? will fly on the second mission.
Discovery had been discussing the prospect of a space-based reality show with Axiom last year, pitching it as a ‘a premium documentary’ rather than another variant of Survivor and other tough reality competitions.
‘There’s real stakes here, unlike those kinds of comparisons. We want to create an interest in somebody, so that everyone can feel like they maybe someday have the ability to do this,’ he said.
According to Paul Ricci, founder of BoomTown Content Company, which is also involved in the show, said it’ll be based more on the principles of being an astronaut and what’s really required to succeed.
‘If these are the qualities that astronauts need to have, then we can model challenges that test those qualities. Things like problem solving, teamwork, precision and focus, grace under pressure, handling the unexpected,’ he explained.
Dana Weigel, deputy manager for the space station at NASA, said it’s a dream to ‘really to allow everyone access to space, and this is a pretty exciting starting point here… we’re finally able to open our doors to private citizens and allow others to experience the magic of living and working in space.’
If you would like to find out more and apply for the show, click here.
If you have a story you want to tell, send it to UNILAD via [email protected]
Topics: Film and TV, Astronaut, International Space Station, ISS, Now, Reality TV, Space
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The New York TimesThe New York Times
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