Next Space Tourist to be ‘N Sync Singer Lance Bass

The Multilateral Crew Operations Panel, representing NASA and the space agencies of Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada signed off on Bass' participation after weeks of telephone conferences to discuss his background and qualifications. The panel recommendation has been forwarded to a board of high-ranking space agency officials who will review Bass' candidacy and issue a final ruling in September. ‘N Sync singer Lance Bass flight has been scheduled for October 28. Payment for the flight has been delayed by paperwork, but backers of the flight expect it to be made shortly.

In July, Bass signed a contract with Rosviakosmos to accompany Sergei Zalyotin, Russia, and Frank De Winne, Belgium, on the approximately 10-day Soyuz “taxi” mission to the space station. The Russians, belatedly, submitted Bass’ name to the other space station partners for their approval. This mission will include the debut of the new Soyuz TMA spacecraft. 

Bass has been in Star City, Russia, in training for most of the summer, with video crews recording his progress for a future TV show. His training is divided into one-month blocks. He has undergone centrifuge spins and zero-gravity tests. Bass will have to learn Russian, space flight theory, spacecraft flight control systems and standard operations of the International Space Station. His flight simulations for Soyuz spacecraft will take place in a functional full-size simulator and will take him through the entire launch, flight and re-entry procedure on the ground. His training will include survival training for different climatic and geographical areas, in case the spacecraft doesn't land according to plan upon re-entry and the cosmonauts are forced to wait for a rescue team to arrive. To prepare for the possibility of the capsule landing in the wilderness, Bass is learning shooting techniques to defend himself against wolves and other predators, in addition to basic preservation skills such as building a shelter and starting a fire. Bass, and his crewmates, began training at NASA's Johnson Spaceflight Center in Houston on August 26.

His training and flight will be documented for a six to eight-part TV series to be reportedly broadcast on MTV. Half-hour episodes of the TV series will be aired each week, starting six weeks prior to Bass’ launch in October. The launch itself will be the centerpiece of an extended episode. Bass plans to sing during his ISS visit and music is being written for segments he also plans to produce. Bass plans to carry out experiments geared toward school children, including  demonstrations of weightlessness and how hearing is affected by weightlessness. Plans calls for Bass to appear as part of a post-mission “Welcome Back to Earth” concert that is expected to include “some of the top talent in the world”, perhaps held a week after he's released from post-space quarantine.

The “short-form” contract, setting out the broad terms for the project, was signed July 17, in Los Angeles. A longer, more detailed 400 page contract was signed later, though details continue to be negotiated. A new venture has been set up for the project, which has been casually referred to as “Lance in Space” or “Celebrity Mission: Lance Bass” with details of the flight available at www.lanceinspace.com  Rights have been sold for the broadcast of “Celebrity Mission” in 40 other countries. While exact financial details have not been announced, the Russians continue to quote US$20 million as the price for a “tourist” flight. Such contracts typically require a 10 to 15 percent down payment at signing, 50 percent midway through the training when the space suit is manufactured, with a total of 80 percent of the ticket price paid prior  to the flight. A hard-copy original of the contract is required in order to “bind” an insurance policy protecting the project’s sponsors from financial loss. With the insurance in place, the money gets transferred to the Russians.

There have been delays and snags caused by overly enthusiastic statements and actions by the Russians which have had a negative impact on the project. For example, Destiny Productions has the sole ownership to all the media rights surrounding Bass's trip. The company had lined up a million dollar exclusive rights deal with a "Time or People-like magazine" for the first pictures of Bass in his spacesuit. However, both the video and still images of Bass trying on his spacesuit were released to the press by Rosviakosmos. Bass was fitted for his half-million-dollar space suit on August 7. The suit will be emblazoned with names of the sponsors of the flight.

Destiny Productions, Los Angeles, is the primary backer of the plan, along with MirCorp, Amsterdam. The William Morris [ad] Agency, Los Angeles, has been lining up commercial sponsors, though so far only RadioShack’s participation has been announced. However, Variety is reporting that Procter and Gamble has signed on, and that a major soft drink company is in final negotiations. Sponsorships are expected to be sold for US$5 million to US$15 million apiece. MirCorp has been working to create a business model for space tourism flights that is not dependent on “the check of a wealthy person (or) the taxpayers of the American public.”

Destiny Productions, has produced a similar space-camp show in Denmark called "The Big Mission" which was oriented toward contestants competing for a future ride on a suborbital flight. Destiny president David Krieff says the company plans to bring the series to the U.S., starting with the Lance Bass special, followed by a series featuring regular contestants.

Krieff has said, "I have 15 other celebrities, huge 'A' and 'B' list celebrities, that are wanting to do exactly what we're doing. It's a dream come true." In recent months names of other celebrities expressing an interest in space flight have surfaced, including:  James Cameron, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Brittney Spears (and boyfriend Justin Timberlake, also an 'NSync musician), and Cindy Crawford. 

This trip is very important to the Russians - it is all about the money. Rosviakosmos is short of money to build Soyuz and Progress vehicles, which are both critical to the operation and resupply of the space station. However, according to those closely involved with the training and negotiations say the Russians have not been cutting corners on safety and training just to meet deadlines. The focus of the training has been on making sure a visitor riding in the Soyuz can handle the trip, but with little emphasis on any specific in-flight duties once at the station. Further, the training emphasizes that visitors are not permitted to do any work on the station that might affect operations.

In a taxi mission, the paying passenger accompanies two professional astronauts on a new Soyuz spacecraft. The Soyuz spacecraft serve as the space station crew rescue vehicle, and need to be exchanged every 6 months. After a week or so at the space station, the three-person visiting crew returns, using the old Soyuz spacecraft. This taxi flight will be the first flight of the new Soyuz TMA capsule, and will be launched using a Soyuz Fregat. The Soyuz TMA spacecraft will permit taller American and European astronauts to participate in long-term ISS expedition crews. Crew duties for the right seat occupant, are far simpler than for the existing Soyuz TM vehicle, especially for launch and orbit insertion. This is expected to greatly mitigate any training concerns for a right seat space flight participant, i.e. tourist, using this model.

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