LIVING, WORKING AND, YES, ACTING IN SPACE
OF all the “promises” of future advances and advantages to commercial spaceflight, one stands out in my mind at point in its development: Filming in space. Call me a liberal, progressive, democratic, science-futurist with a”bleeding heart” for humanity, but I believe the single most significant effect of the commercialization of space was well demonstrated by the recent Russian film crew space flight (https://nypost.com/2021/10/17/russian...) and Star Trek lead actor William Shatner’s recent spaceflight, finally going where only a few have actually gone before (https://www.theguardian.com/science/2...). If science fiction in books is the start of envisioning the future, then movies, especially where actors and actresses are directly involved in filming in space are well on the way to progressing the NASA normalized idea of “living and working in space.”
I know. As an actor (aka Daniel S. Janik), I had the distinct privilege while working on assignment to NASA – Johnson Space Center, and later NASA – Marshal Space and Flight Center as well as NASA – Ames Research Center to have been certified for space flight and experienced micro-gravity flying an experiment on the “Vomit Comet.” Two events stand out for me regarding the importance of spaceflight: First is the experience of micro-gravity and all it’s implications; the second is viewing Earth from space and realizing how small and fragile our planet is upon which our lives sole depend.
In my opinion, every American student should, at some point in their education, take a ride on the microgravity plane, and ascend to an altitude in space where they can experience the Earth as it actually is, suspended in the dark, star-studded vacuum of space. Millions upon millions of dollars? Last time I checked online, each cost roughly $US 5000 to 30,000 for the experience. I actually proposed this duo for all freshmen students for a university I taught at 40 years ago sadly to the guffaws and snickers of less inclined colleagues.
Want to try something Sci-Fu for less than $US 16.95? May I suggest THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, one of my several pen names: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859.
https://i.postimg.cc/ydLF8jcx/Vomit-C...
I know. As an actor (aka Daniel S. Janik), I had the distinct privilege while working on assignment to NASA – Johnson Space Center, and later NASA – Marshal Space and Flight Center as well as NASA – Ames Research Center to have been certified for space flight and experienced micro-gravity flying an experiment on the “Vomit Comet.” Two events stand out for me regarding the importance of spaceflight: First is the experience of micro-gravity and all it’s implications; the second is viewing Earth from space and realizing how small and fragile our planet is upon which our lives sole depend.
In my opinion, every American student should, at some point in their education, take a ride on the microgravity plane, and ascend to an altitude in space where they can experience the Earth as it actually is, suspended in the dark, star-studded vacuum of space. Millions upon millions of dollars? Last time I checked online, each cost roughly $US 5000 to 30,000 for the experience. I actually proposed this duo for all freshmen students for a university I taught at 40 years ago sadly to the guffaws and snickers of less inclined colleagues.
Want to try something Sci-Fu for less than $US 16.95? May I suggest THE EDGE OF MADNESS (Aignos 2020) by Raymond Gaynor, one of my several pen names: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999693859.
https://i.postimg.cc/ydLF8jcx/Vomit-C...
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