NASA ponders whether to play ball with golf stunt

The international space station could be turned into a golf driving range this summer.

Cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, who took over command of the space station last week, hopes to hit a gold-plated ball during an August spacewalk.

Because of zero gravity, Vinogradov’s drive will make golf’s long-distance hitters like John Daly look positively feeble. The ball, equipped with a tracking device, is expected to remain in orbit for several years.

The low drive from the space station – which travels at 17,000 mph, 250 miles above Earth – is a publicity stunt for Element 21 Golf Co, a Canadian-based golf club manufacturer.

NASA officials met today at Cape Canaveral, Florida, to review the safety of the stunt, which has already been approved by the Russian space agency. NASA is expected to make a decision at a later date.

NASA’s space station deputy programme manager Kirk Shireman said recently: “Being a golfer, I’m interested in it, too. But we’re absolutely going to make sure it’s a safe thing to do before we execute it.”

NASA officials want to make sure a bad slice or hook will not send the golf ball careering into the spacecraft – or that a bad backswing or follow-through will not cause Vinogradov to strike the station with his six-iron.

Vinogradov has practised driving the ball in his baggy spacesuit in a training pool and in an aircraft that simulates weightlessness.

Element 21 Golf paid the Russian space agency an undisclosed amount to allow the stunt. Golf balls, the six-iron and a special platform were delivered to the space station in October.

The company says it wants to publicise its new line of golf clubs and commemorate the 35th anniversary of the time astronaut Alan Shepard hit golf balls on the Moon during the Apollo 14 mission.

Certain adjustments for zero gravity were made. The company designed a special platform in which Vinogradov can hook his feet and a tee that spirals around the ball to hold it in place.

And, because of Vinogradov’s bulky spacesuit, his swing will be one-handed.

“Golf is not a Russian game at all,” said Nataliya Hearn, the company’s president and chief executive.

“It probably would have been easier for Pavel to hit with a hockey stick.”

Russia’s cash-strapped space agency has allowed three space tourists aboard the space station for $20m each and once charged PepsiCo $5m to have cosmonauts float a replica of a soda can outside the Mir space station.

The Russians also allowed Pizza Hut to paint its logo on a rocket and have a pizza delivered to the space station.