John Carter McKnight says that the space community needs a P. T. Barnum.

Among many other good bits of advice:

Know Your Product: Space tourism is no different from Barnum's wax museums, giant elephants and General Tom Thumb. You're not selling paraffin, big pachyderms and small men. You're selling what Barnum would call "humbug," or "ballyhoo." You're selling exotic experience. Bear in mind that this product is at the other end of the universe from the "space product" that NASA "sells:" they sell safe, routine government operations. Consider how few people pay to watch tax-legislation proofreading... and that about as many watch the feed from NASA TV. If you try to sell the NASA product, you won't be in any business very long.

This is a message that I've been trying to get through peoples' heads for more than a decade. The success or failure of Space Camps says nothing about the market for space tourism. We need to stop selling NASA, and start selling Space.

All salesmen know you don't sell the steak, you sell the sizzle.

Actually, I buy the aroma. The good flavor and high protein content (among other things) are just packaging.

Guys on crack make more since than them.

I watch the NASA channel on a regular bases. Or at least on the odd chance that they are actually broadcasting a program and instead of the usual off air test pattern.

That was an excellent link, especially since it was to a space website I hadn't found yet! I'd really like to hear your thoughts on a couple things, though:
1. What's your opinion of the Canadian Arrow X-Prize project? To my untrained eyes they look to have a good chance.
2. A Russian commercial moon program? Could've sworn I read it somewhere. If I'm correct, the Soyuz craft and Proton & Energia boosters are all direct results of their lunar program. Makes me wonder if they could pull it off ( I think so if the rubles were there). If I had $20 million to blow, it wouldn't be on a trip to ISS. But a trip to lunar orbit? Oh yes! Dock a couple of Soyuz with some kind of booster attachment, 2 crew, 4 passengers...I know it's more complicated than it sounds, but it sure sounds cool to me.

Didn't Heinlein cover this about fifty years ago?