First of all - why the disgusting language in your first reponse. It was un called for and is certainly unwelcome here.

"Why did APOLLO 13 receive more media coverage, and MILLIONS more attentive TV viewers, than APOLLO 12?"

One answer would be Why did the first series week of 'Weakest Link' get more viewers than the second week?

Another answer might be that it's difficult to have viewers on television when the TV camera was broken shortly after landing so there was no footage of Apollo 12 on the surface.

Another answer might indeed be - people like a story - people like peril

So are you suggesting we should send out manned missions and nearly kill them every time to keep the public interested. That is what you are infering.

All my friends and family know that I 'know about' space.
Do they ask me about ISS? No.
Do they ask me about Columbia - the most recent issue of 'peril' in manned space flight No.
Do they ask me about project constelation? No
Do they ask me about Manned space flight? Ever? No.
Do they ask me about Cassini, Huygens, the MER's. Yes. Very very regularly.

The MER's are, imho, the first misison to have captured the heart of the public the world over. Beagle 2 was DAMN sexy w.r.t. the media over here in the UK - and that augered in. The public LOVED it, and it was a total and utter failure. People still ask me about it "have they found it yet" etc etc. People actually CARE about that tiny, failed, unmanned probe. They've not once asked me when the shuttle will fly, who's on the ISS, when we're going to mars. They know about those rovers, and they like them and they like their pictures.

I'm sorry. YOU may think that the man on the street wants death and adventure. I think you're wrong.

The oil rig worker, the trash men, the cable guy, the nurse, the traffic cop. They dont actually care about space one single bit - and if something does go wrong, they'd give it the same attention as they'd give any issue of people in peril, like, say the Tsunami, or a spate of killings in a small area, or a gas explosion.

It's the people one step up from that that count. The ones who care to find out, the ones who ask. THEY'RE the ones to whom NASA must pitch. THEY'RE the ones who'll write to (in the UK) their MP or (in the US) their Senator etc. Bob the Plumber doesnt really care either way. Bob the Lawyer / Manager / Estate Agent can appreciate getting value out of the tax dollar at NASA - and seing two rovers lasting 4 times their design life offers good value. People in tin cans, particularly killing them in the process....does not.

I think you've confused what people want at the Cinema and what people want in space.

If you're going to bother replying - keep the F words out of it, it does your case no favours.

Doug