Florida Lottery Nixes Space Station Trip Proposal

Florida Lottery Nixes Space Station Trip Proposal

Other Options Included Suborbital, Zero-Gravity Spacecraft Rides

POSTED: 4:52 PM EST December 12, 2003
UPDATED: 9:52 PM EST December 12, 2003

Associated Press

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The Florida Lottery is striking down a
proposal to create a game that would allow its winners a chance to
ride a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station.

The lottery service had considered the idea and discarded it last
year, but it received new life after newly appointed Lottery Secretary
Rebecca Mattingly met with leaders of the commercial space industry
last summer.

Lottery officials said Friday that the response to the idea was
unenthusiastic in a half dozen focus groups with lottery players held
around the state last year. That data was used in killing the idea's
chances.

Gov. Jeb Bush said Friday that he didn't like the idea.

"It is an interesting idea but it's kind of out of the core mission of
the lottery's function," Bush said.

"For the lottery to be successful, I think they need to stay focused
on the fundamentals."

Supporters, including former astronaut Norm Thagard, claimed the space
lottery would have created extra tourism business by people who come
to Florida to buy the lottery tickets.

There were other options besides the trip to the space station that
were proposed. They included suborbital ride in a spacecraft and an
aircraft ride that achieves zero-gravity.

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