Starwalker - A New Breed of Astronauts?

Over the years, NASA was the authority for selecting astronauts in the U.S., alongside the ESA, CSA, the Russians etc. outside this nation's borders. Then, space tourism came about, where for a mere 20-35 million dollars and some training one can go up to the space station in a Russian Soyuz.

Reality TV is a varied arena, where everything from being on an island to eating bugs to swapping wives is fair game.

At a time when NASA plans are questioned and budgets are tight, enters Starwalker (blog, web site, Facebook, not the MontBlanc pen). It is still not very clear what, where and how the show will progress, and apart from a Terms and Conditions page there isn't a lot to work with yet, though apparently there are already some successful entrants...

How cryptic is it? Well, on a Facebook message I asked:

How come registration requires so few details and yet per your claim, "PLEASE NOTE: There is absolutely no element of chance in the evaluation of entrants nor in their selection or non-selection."?

What is the difference between entering once online and entering through a text message? Any reason to enter through both methods?

The answer, which supposedly came from Executive Producer Jonathan Nolan himself didn't really shed any light on the show, and if anything, made it seem more secretive at this point:

Shalom, Jonathan here. :)

1. no element of chance- there is no element of chance amigo. There is no random element to who is selected for entry and who is rejected. :)

2. small details- we have an AI software system based on patented game technology that is running actuarial info against selection criteria and info submitted. It tests out at a very high predictive ability. :)

3. there is a concrete benefit to the entrant for making text entries, whether the entrant is ultimately successful in being selected or not.
 
Hope that helps, no more can we say. :)
 
Well, all I can say is that I haven't received any message regarding my place in the show. Hey, I can't afford being a space tourist, and I'm not a U.S. citizen (which makes NASA frown). So why not be in that new breed of astronauts, the reality show kind?