FRANKFURT (Reuters) -- Forget the Caribbean holiday or a million dollars in cash. A German company said on Friday it has come up with
the ultimate TV show prize -- a trip into space.
Television production firm Brainpool TV AG said that a new multimedia competition show due to start next September will take winners up to the International Space Station under an exclusive contract already signed with a unit of the European Aeronautic, Defense & Space Co. (EADS).
"Everyone has the chance to qualify," said Susanne Loesser, a spokeswoman for Brainpool. "You have to have certain physical and health conditions. That will be tested, of course," she said.
Brainpool's share price jumped 23 percent on the news, falling back by 12:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (17:15 GMT) to trade at $19.95 (22.49 euros), 18.68 percent up on the day, but still well below their year high of $31.05 (35 euros) set on September 1.
"It seems this announcement was enough to make the share go higher," said Lambert Witzell, trader at MM Warburg in Hamburg. "I don't know if it makes sense. From my point of view such trips are [likely to be] very expensive but private investors seem to like the idea."
The company said the pan-European competition in September next year would be run through television, the Internet and special events to select a candidate for the first of seven space flights.
Winners for each of seven competitions planned for the series would be given training to fly and live in space on separate missions between 2002 and 2008.
"The goal is that the winner is
a trained cosmonaut," said Kirsten Leun, a spokeswoman for Astrium.
EADS unit Astrium GmbH will provide the training as well as the ride
to the space station, Leun said.
"We are taking care of the transport," Leun said, adding that the actual flight would be handled by Russians.
"There are two nations with the technology to go into space --
the Americans and the Russians. We are not doing it with the Americans," she said.
But she declined to provide further details ahead of a news conference due to be held on December 12.
"Space Commander as big as Formula One?
Brainpool subsidiary space TV AG will market the rights to the project. The company said it plans to create a global entertainment brand under the name "Space Commander" to cover the contestants' selection and the space trips.
Television viewers throughout Europe will be able to watch as the candidates are selected and then fly into space, the firm said.
"Brainpool is thus the first company to bring outer space into a comprehensive and worldwide entertainment concept for the entertainment industry," the statement said.
The company compared Space Commander's reach to the sport world's Formula One racing.
Brainpool said it plans to create an entire network of additional activities and marketing projects.
One hundred prime-time shows will air in Germany and the concept will also be available in Britain, France, Spain and Italy, it said.
Future markets include North America, South America and Asia, the company added.
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