spacetoday.net: Russian space tourism TV show planned

Posted: Wed, Oct 9, 2002, 9:48 AM ET (1348 GMT)
ISS illustration (NASA)

A Russian television network, possibly in cooperation with an American producer, is planning a reality TV show whose winner would fly to space on a Soyuz taxi flight. Russian media reported Tuesday that Rosaviakosmos has signed an agreement with the ORT television network, also known as Channel 1, to fly the winner of a television show the network is planning on the fall 2003 Soyuz taxi flight to the International Space Station. Terms of the agreement, such as the price the network or its sponsors will pay for the seat, were not disclosed. SpaceRef reported Tuesday that Mark Burnett, an American best known as the producer of the TV series Survivor, will produce the show. Burnett had been interested in such a series for several years; two years ago he announced plans for one such show, Destination Mir, but canceled those efforts when Mir was deorbited in early 2001. Few other details about the show have been released, although SpaceRef reported that one of the contestants might be Lori Garver, who attempted to find sponsorship earlier this year for her own "Astromom" space tourist flight.