Tell me why I don't like Moon days: Bob Geldof heads into SPAAACE Sir Bob Geldof has dubbed himself the "first rock astronaut" after confirming that he'll be on a trip to space in 2015 with the Space Expedition Corporation. Bob Geldof The Boomtown Rat said he was given the chance to go on the trip after his band agreed to perform at a charity ball where further flights on the same trip …
... and probably the only BTR hit that most people could name. [ scrabble for Wiki ensues, followed by "what about ...." ]
Although there was the intriguingly titled (I Never Loved) Eva (von???) Braun on Tonic for the Troops. Maybe after this, he will feel better about the family name?
At least they knew the only hit Boomtown Rats ever had.
Midge Ure, the lead singer of the vastly more successful band Ultravox, at the time was organizing a giant project called "Live Aid", and, killing two birds with one stone, Ure hired down-on-his-luck Geldof to handle the press contacts so Ure could get on with the organizing.
And the rest is history.
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May I be the first to say.....
RATTTSSS IN SPACCCCEEEE....
Actually the first Irishman in space was supposed to be one Tom Higgins, who operated the premium rate phone line 'Irish Psychics Live' and predicted in 2007 that he would be the first Irishman in space.
http://www.independent.ie/regionals/wicklowpeople/news/irish-psychics-live-boss-says-position-is-rightfully-his-27830175.html
Not much of a psychic, is he?
The problem with the flight Geldof's been offered is that the Lynx spaceplane he's supposed to go up in hasn't flown and doesn't seem to exist yet outside of CGI mockups.
XCOR says it hopes to fly 100 people into space next year. Hard to see how that's going to work, given the complete absence of flight testing so far.
Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composite's SpaceShipTwo first flew on glide tests in October 2010, didn't make its first powered flight until this April, and still isn't in service - although Branson says it will start public service on 25th December 2013. Look at that long development period and bear in mind SpaceShipTwo's based on an earlier design: Scaled Composites had experience, and it's still taken them flippin' ages.
What's the betting that some other Irishman's bought a ticket from Virgin Galactic and will beat Bob to it?
"Perhaps he could take Bono with him"
Wasn't this all a cartoon in Viz? If life is mirroring art, then Sting will be next, on a journey to the bottom of the Marianas Trench.
When we've proved the concept (and made sure these people don't come back) then perhaps we can start sending politicians. I'd like Clegg, Cameron, and that Millibloke to be fired at the sun in a cermonial start to the "production" operations.
Tch!
"The flights have been organised by Space Expedition Corporation and World Privilege Card, which are raising the money for Arms Around The Child"
Why don't they just give all that cash to the charity, solve the kids-with-HIV thing and buy their own space fights?
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