NASA's got a publicity stunt going, offering to send a digital picture of you into Earth orbit. Upload your image, or if you're camera shy, just tell them your name, and it will be "flown aboard the Space Shuttle."

You get to choose either one of the last two shuttle missions, STS-133 scheduled to launch on September 9, or STS-134, the last shuttle flight, with an as-yet-undetermined target launch date of sometime in November. Once your face has "flown in space," NASA will let you print a commemorative Flight Certificate signed by the mission commander.

Wow, this might be the closest I ever get to flying in space. Somehow, the thrill is hollow. It might be great for kids, but NASA is restricting entries to those over the age of 13. It's not quite clear whether we'll be able to see the faces of all of our shipmates, or if anyone will.

Still, nice try, NASA. Almost cool. Next time, let us enter a drawing so one person can actually fly in space. Oh, that's right. There won't be a next time. Not for a while, at least.

By the way, NASA just announced this idea, and already there are more than 7,997 people signed up in the U.S. alone.

Via Face in Space