NASA signs 'The Rock' to make it seem cool

Perhaps space travel has become old. Perhaps people have come to take it for granted. It's been seen in so many movies. So many space shuttles have taken off and returned to Earth that we think little more of them than we do of jumbo jets.

NASA therefore has to use its imagination to persuade tomorrow's generations that space travel continues to be a large step for man.

One small step in this process is a new public service annoucnement featuring that fearsome space creature, "The Rock." Dwayne Johnson himself, a man who has appeared in so many scientifically concocted movies such as WWF SmackDown, WWE Backlash, and WWE Crush Hour, is now telling kids that NASA is cool.

Why Johnson? Well, he plays Captain Chuck Baker in the new movie "Planet 51." The voice of Chuck Baker, to be precise. And that seems to be a sufficient connection for him to tell us that all of the clever things NASA discovers in the dark and beyond are also put to use here on the mundane round lump called Earth.

I know Johnson is trying to inspire, but when he tells us that NASA technologies allow us to enjoy the freeze-dried fruit in our cereal, I wonder how many viewers will look at their Raisin Bran with a jaundiced eye and quivering lips.

The Rock is a professional. He convinced when he played Agent 23 in "Get Smart," just as he did when he when he played Rick Smith in "Reno 911."

But even he struggles with the last line of this PSA. For reasons best known to someone, somewhere, perhaps even out there, Johnson is required to end this PSA with the words" There's no space like home."

Oh, goodness. He's Dwayne Johnson. He's the Rock. Couldn't they have got him to deliver an NASA smackdown? Or are we all just trying to nice-ify our images to the point of blandness?

[lkrupp]

Nasa is fighting for it's very life. Americans no longer have that urge to explore and discover. What they worry about now is how to get the most out of the nanny government they want so badly. After the last shuttle launch in 2011 the U.S. will no longer be a spacefaring nation. We will be paying the Russians to take us up there. The new replacement system for the shuttle is underfunded and behind schedule. It wouldn't surprise me in the least to see it canceled all together and NASA reduced to a PR entity only. It's really a sad comment on our doomed culture.<br /><br />So anything NASA can do to try and keep the space program in the minds of the welfare state lemmings is okay with me. I fear it will be a futile effort though. Getting everything free from the productive tax payers is top priority right now for the uneducated masses.

[timber2005]

I laugh.... that you think all NASA does is launch rockets and carry supplies to the international space station, and that their only program funding security is the current shuttle program.

[SeskaLien]

NASA has many other missions in the pipeline other than the shuttle replacement, so they're not going to die as an entity without the shuttle. The Mars Science Laboratory rover and the JunoCam mission to Jupiter launch in 2011, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will be operating for at least a year, a Mars methane orbiter and two-rover joint mission with ESA are being planned for 2016 and 2018, and the Mars Odyssey orbiter, Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and MER rovers are all still functioning.<br /><br />They also have a plethora of ongoing Earth-orbiting satellite missions: http://www.nasa.gov/missions/current/<br /><br />However, they are definitely suffering from bad PR lately. Everyone seems to think of NASA as a big money pit, especially in today's economy, but people don't seem to realize that it's not just some faceless government entity. NASA directly employs nearly 20,000 people, and thousands more through subcontractors and scholarships given to college students and researchers (myself included), so they do benefit the economy by providing those jobs. It's good to see a PSA from them attempting to show some of the benefits NASA has given to people in their daily lives (and there are many more than what's shown, and NASA really should push that), but it could definitely have been more lively. Why couldn't they do something like they did with this little video they endorsed for the Spitzer Space Telescope? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjRJeaNtxN4

[guest18934367]

I'm confused. I always thought NASA should make PSA's but was told that, as a government agency, they're not allowed to promote themselves. That also confused me because every now and then the Postal Service has a commercial (notably during the Tour de France) and the Army/Marines most definitely promote themselves in commercials. It's good to see them doing this.

[jaguar717]

Having plans in the pipeline won't mean a thing when Dear Leader decides that gutting space exploration is another great way to humble us before every tinpot dictator in the world.<br /><br />The swamp in DC will probably give them a budget to find reasons for massive energy taxes and government expansion though.<br /><br />The rest is better spent in the form of vote-buying handouts. You don't think it's people trying to WORK for a living who are going to re-elect Nancy, Bawney, Reid, Dodd, Rangel, Rockefeller, Jackson, Burris, and the rest of the dependency &#38; poverty pimps, do you?

[MyRightEye]

The downfall of NASA mirrors the downfall of the Empire.

[AlexanderEcclesiastes]

Roman or Galactic?

[tektaktyks]

balance must be restored

[MyRightEye]

Neither, the American Empire.

[karpenterskids]

If I'm barely able to buy Christmas presents this year for my family and friends...there's no WAY I'm going to donate and support NASA.

[guest18934367]

Well then good news! You don't donate, you already pay with your taxes. In case you're wondering, it comes out to approximately $50 a year for the average tax paying American.

[sailinganfd]

Yep gifts that will likely be forgotten in a month or three are more important than the advancement of our species.

[Tekuromoto]

Well, there's always the option of getting off the comsumerism treadmill and NOT buying things for people who don't really need them.

[mike_ekim]

Yeah, as if launching rockets will advance our species. How much energy is used to build and fuel those rockets? We need heavy metals and huge amounts of manpower to build and launch rockets. How much ecological damage do we do? We could pay all those people to be teachers or nurses or something else that would actually help our species.

[James Anderson Merritt]

On the other hand, the private sector space program is slowly building momentum. Modules intended to serve as the prototypes for orbiting hotels have been under test in orbit for several years, already. Private companies have demonstrated and/or are developing launch vehicles and "space planes" for transporting tourists and others back and forth. As NASA declines, the private space program will ascend, unless hobbled by regulation and other government obstacles. People will gladly pay for the private space program because they want the services it provides and the products it makes possible: Every time they buy such a product or service, they will make a "contribution."

[guest18934367]

NASA has many spinoffs and direct technologies that affect our lives every day. I personally wouldn't trust anyone but NASA and RKA to put people into space safely. Remember the Falcon rockets? They kept failing for VERY basic reasons. That company got all the advanced parts of rocket building and flying correct but couldn't catch mistakes that an undergraduate would be able to catch. And if private space companies get off the ground (which I'm sure they will) they will NEED to be highly regulated for safeties sake, and many people in this country will cry foul at that. <br /> <br />Something to consider: A company launches a rocket from the United States and it fails and crashes into a country in Europe causing significant damage. Who's to blame, the company or the United States? After all, the country did give a license to the company certifying they can launch rockets safely.

I'm glad guestwhoever doesn't trust anyone but governments to launch rockets, but he might try some research first. "Remember the falcon rockets"? You mean the ones that took only 3 launches to fix? That's an impressive record for a government. Mistakes an undergrad could catch? Like using the wrong sign and dumping an interplanetary probe in the ocean? SpaceX and others are highly regulated for safety, and are making great progress--safety regulation isn't the concern. I'm with Mr. Merritt, and am looking forward to seeing the first Falcon 9 launch.

[cube3]

30 years ago we ""all " decided to go spend our money on inner space ( pcs, video games, twitters, youtubes/cat videos valued at billions) and not on outer space or the real world we live on- earth and its non virtual resources.. <br /> <br />So dont cry me a CNET river because all you got for this Trick or Treat, was a ROCK..;)

[bob donut]

Actually, I think that Dwayne Johnson, A.K.A. "the Rock", is one of those actors who has really stretched himself. He started as a pro wrestler, but he's done several movies that made decent money, and he did an excellent job in the "Get Smart" movie in particular. <br /><br />The actual copy that he has to read, "no space like home" isn't really his fault, but with the appropriate messaging supporting him (I hope someone from NASA is reading this) he can help make the space program cool again.

[carlgda]

Maybe next they should hire Ms. Palin

[knowles2]

I do not think NASA needs a comedian right now. <br /><br />May be in the future, but I think they need someone with a more serious approach to space an science.

[billckr]

Well Chris, That work is certainly no worse than your "Hamlet Cigars" commercial. Talk about the sheep....

[PrivateDrive]

OK, leave "The Rock" alone.

[popper1959]

I tink that the Rock is a good guy for this job he has influence over a lot of people so i think he is numero uno

[ChrisAllen CNET]

What is your point Andy Rooney? Deriding NASA without any suggestion for an improvement is just anti-science mudslinging. If they can get Bart Simpson to record a PSA for NASA we should be for it. Geez, do something better or shut up already.

[giantstewie2]

Absolutely right, ChrisAllen. Just mean spirited... <br /><br />By the way, the Rock was in Doom. Not a good movie, but it was kind of spacey.

[mike_ekim]

Race to witch mountain, too

[coachgeorge]

Are you all Kidding???<br /><br />Is this article really "cnet" worthy?<br />Must have been a slow technology news day.

[thenameisgreg]

We don't do space travel. NEAR EARTH ORBIT. It is not space travel. Please stop.

[kd4nuh]

"just as he did when he when he"<br /><br />Yowza. Somebody call the proofreader.

[warpsix]

NASA needs vision , longer then 4 years .

[02btov]

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson does a great job on the PSA. Are we trying to pick the fly poo out of the pepper?

[BGXterra]

this is a poorly written and very cynical article. shame on you.

[DragonWizard]

If we don't all "die down here" then we WILL "get up there"..... we have no choice.. expand or die.. only 2 choices we have really.. look around you.. are we really ready to expand to twice our population (eventually it will happen) without finding more room to grow... the moon is next.. it is why they decided to find water there.. It will make hydrogen for feul and oxygen to breath that we don't have to spend gazillions to send up.. Nice that they found it recently.. another small step in my opinion.. now we have all of the things that we need to produce a living environment somewhere else.. it will be dangerous and we will no doubt have a catastrophe or two but we must go.. it is that or die...<br /><br />Even if they used woody woodpecker for an ad I would still be behind them one hundred percent... to overcome the problem of other countries crying about any problems we need to share not only the benefits but the obligation.. after all, most of the population growth that is filling this planet to overflowing is coming from those other countries.. if we give them some kind of incentive they might just be willing to help as well.. Why should the US, Russia, and China bear all of the cost or the reap all of the benefits.. This should be a world wide endevour, no matter the cost.. The disaster of our overpopulating will kill us all, after all, not just the first world countries but EVERYONE...<br /><br />The cry of I can't even afford Christmas why should I worry about SPACE travel is just not reasonable.. If we keep going as we are, you can feed your kids to each other for Christmas dinner because there will be nothing else to eat.... You can send your relatives your kids because you won't be able to afford anything else.. You won't HAVE anything else.. If we don't expand into space we will burst like a balloon that has been over inflated regardless of the costs... WE HAVE NO CHOICE.. try telling people in other places to stop having kids.. Who do you think they will listen to.. You or the POPE???? Tell all the other countries to stop polluting while using up the WORLDS resources and they will tell you to mind your own business.. Like their doing these things is not EVERYONES business...We are one world!!!! NOT a bunch of individual countries or races much as those who are our overlords wish us to think of ourselves as such... we are ONE species among many who live on this ONE planet.. It would behoove us to have a spare (just like a spare tire will save your butts when one on your car pops.. ).. we're all riding in the same car.. in this example...<br /><br />Warpsix.. WE ALL NEED VISION longer than 4 years.. not just NASA.. kd4nuh... instead of worrying about someone elses grammar you should be worried about how your chlidren are gonna survive in the rapidly approaching, near future.. the name is greg.. you should be thinking of a solution to starvation instead of semantics... coachgeorge.. this story is WORLD WIDE WORTHY not just CNET... carlgda.. you should think of us all, not just your cute answer about Ms. Palin or your weird sense of humor... ektaktyks.. balance will be restored when we have all died from not thinking of our futures.. jaguar717.. you should worry about what this story implies, not just another chance for you to take a jab at Obama or anyone else.. the real story here is "Do we survive as a world or do we die because we were too busy being cute with our remarks and didn't have our eyes on what was REALLY important... To be or NOT TO BE.. that has always been the question... (thank you once again Will Shakespeare)

[mike_ekim]

First of all, populations have crashed before and they will again. It is unreasonable to believe that we will enjoy uncontrolled exponential growth until we cover the planet and no food will grow so we need to eat each other. <br /> <br />Second, it was once estimated that the 'carrying capacity' of the planet was about a billion people. Guiess what... <br /> <br />Third, tuesday is Soylent Green day. The whole idea of people eating each other due to overpopulation is so last-century-hollywood, not to mention two centries old foolishness. <br /> <br />Fourth, William Shakesphere also said that brevity is the soul of wit. I have only skimmed your comment because it's only worth skimming. Learn to condense, and maybe someone will take you seriously.

[hjecompany]

The raisins in your breakfast cereal aren't freeze dried. <br /><br />We need to get youth interested in science and engineering and if this is a way to do it then I'm all for it. In fact, we should have programs to impress K through 3rd graders since if we can't hook them on science and engineering by then there is a far smaller chance they'll embrace it later. Using popular culture to promote worthwhile education and career paths is not a bad thing. And hooking up with NASA should impress as well (and hopefully will keep the information correct, unlike the raisins...).

[walwebster]

So, PSA = "public service annoucnement ", huh? That's another TLA to file away ...<br /><br />The point that a lot of the knockers seem to miss is that if it weren't for the "because it's there" school of exploration, you (and I) wouldn't be sitting fat-dumb'n'happy in our lovely countries reflecting on the future of space exploration, but rather (if we and our desperate ancestors had survived at all) living in some rat-infested hovel out beyond your worst third-world nightmares, spending MOST of our time wondering when and what we'll eat next. <br /><br />When people don't know anything about where they came from and how they got to where they are, is it any wonder they think that this is the best that things can ever be?<br /><br />Speaking of which: The Rock, btw, is über-cool, and by my estimation, a damn sight smarter than most of you (well, he's not wasting his time here for a start, is he?), so get off his case. And remember, if he can't persuade you with "cute" tag-lines and sweet logic, he can probably do a pretty fair job of punching you out for disagreeing with him ...