Thank you for the pointers. My "problem" with the ISS is that I do not find it exciting, though I think I should.

Not too many years ago former NASA Admin Goldin said when he asked the public (I don't know where or when he did this, and from what I have read he wasn't exactly called Mr. Warm and Fuzzy) what they wanted to know about from the space program, they almost never said the space station or shuttle. Instead they wanted to know about life on other worlds and sending astronauts to Mars!

So you'd think that the NATIONAL (meaning the people - yes, I am silly) Aeronautics and Space Admin would focus their efforts and publicity on that kind of exploratiopn.