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187

To lose a human life is a tragedy, and it costs a lot to train an astronaut. But it costs many times more to minimize each and every risk to the astronaut. If we were to simply train astronauts in larger classes and accept that, say, 20% of them will die progress could be made much more quickly. There would still be no shortage of applicants and in the larger scheme of things rapid progress in space science would save many more lives. So why wasn't that the approach of the space program?

To lose a human life is a tragedy, and it costs a lot to train an astronaut. But it costs many times more to minimize each and every risk to the astronaut. If we were to simply train astronauts in larger classes and accept that, say, 20% of them will die progress could be made much more quickly. There would still be no shortage of applicants and in the larger scheme of things rapid progress in space science would save many more lives. So why wasn't that the approach of the space program?

(post is archived)

[–] [deleted] • 0 pt

Space is gay and the biggest waste of money of our time behind Israel's sustained existence.

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No one has ever been to “space” or ever will. The entire concept of “space travel” or “exploration” is nothing but a public fantasy.

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Go to the shore of a large lake or the ocean at sunset. Lie down in the sand and watch the sun set. As soon as it dips below the horizon, jump up onto a chair and you'll get to watch it set again. There's your proof the earth is round.

[–] • 0 pt

You mean standing at a higher point can let you see farther??!???!?!?!?!?!?!? Oh wow!!!!

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If the sun goes down below the disk of a flat earth, standing at a higher point will not let you see it.

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we have probably been in a war with aliens for years

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I don't think carelessness gets us further. Otherwise Russia would have been the winners of the space race

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In the early days ('60s) it was important not to have embarrassing failures that could be exploited by the commies in propaganda. The commies were more secretive and we didn't learn of their fatalities until much later. Also, space pioneers were seen as heroes, so losing them would upset people and perhaps undermine support for the space program, which at the time was an important part of the cold war.

We should perhaps make it into more of a "pioneering" presentation and begin preparing people for the fact that pioneers are risking their lives and that more of the them will probably die.

[–] [deleted] • 0 pt

Mike Hughes thought along the same lines.

RIP