A Different Drummer

In the world of international space agencies, surely the Russian space agency must be like that guy who is sleeping on your couch for a few weeks, willing to wash the dishes in return for beer money. Does it get any more humiliating than this?

"A Russian cosmonaut set a new record for the longest golf drive in history today after hitting a lightweight ball while tethered to the outside of the International Space Station (ISS).....

The cosmic golf drive was part of a commercial agreement between the Russian Federal Space Agency and the Canadian golf firm, Element 21....

For the stunt, a makeshift tee box was set up outside space station's Pirs docking compartment. During the shot, Lopez-Alegria held Tyurin's feet, which were affixed to a ladder. Tyurin carried three golf balls, but only had time to hit one of them before ground flight controllers instructed the spacewalkers to proceed to their other tasks....."

If someone doesnt loan the Russian Space Agency a few hundred bucks to cover the rent, we're going to end up seeing cosmonauts dealing weed in their spare time.

On the other hand, I guess the relative poverty of the Russian Space Agency also means cool stuff - they are becoming much more market driven than their European and American collegues, meaning stuff like space tourism "astronaut camps" are being developed pretty quickly. Kind of ironic that the lack of funds caused by a socialist legacy makes them more market focussed and capitalistic today....

Its all cool, I just don't want to arrive in space and waste my fist 10 minutes there filling in a survey on my favourite brands of toothpaste.....