6 ms·

Tbh, taking the example of a country that didn't disappear, very few people in France would know who the first Frenchman in space was. Then he was not relentles

• raattgift 8y ago
  Perhaps Canada isn't sufficiently "grand", but: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Garneau https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Garneau and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Payette https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Payette respectively the first Canadian and just one of the twelve Canadians to have been in space. How about Spain? Recently: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Duque https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Duque (There are at least two current MEPs who have been in space, but I will grant you that few people in most EU member-states can name their own MEP, let alone any of the others elected from their country). One might also compare John Glenn, who while alive, was certainly well known in the USA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Glenn https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Glenn Certainly there are many U.S. and Canadian astronauts who have never been anything close to well known public figures, but both sets certainly have enjoyed state propaganda (even on the official state broadcaster): https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/canada-s-astronauts-1.875983 https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/canada-s-astronauts-1.875... (for example) Perhaps "grand scheme" implies international name recognition? How soon Chris Hadfield's international prominence fades away is an open question; he certainly appears in the UK often enough (he was a "get" -- as in an invited guest the production staff felt fortunate to have present -- on more than one of the the annual BBC astronomy shows put together by Brian Cox and Dara Ó Briaian) and he has been on a number of other broadcasts as part of an "outreach" programme. You yourself may well remember him from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo
• billfruit 8y ago
  I wonder how much the UK public remembers the first Britons in space Helen Sharman, curiously it was the Soviets who sent her to space. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Sharman https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Sharman
  • festkal 8y ago
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_astronauts_by_first_flight https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_astronauts_by_first_...
• raverbashing 8y ago
  Unfortunately, the 1st teacher who (tried to) go to space will be remembered for a long time.
• wolfgke 8y ago
  > Tbh, taking the example of a country that didn't disappear, very few people in France would know who the first Frenchman in space was. At least in Germany, Alexander Gerst > https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alexander_Gerst&oldid=864298516 https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alexander_Gerst&o... who is currently on the ISS > https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_International_Space_Station_expeditions&oldid=865024994#Current_expedition https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Internati... has quite celebrity status. Also "nearly everybody" in East Germany knows the Siegmund Jähn from the article and because of the movie "Good Bye, Lenin!", he also became quite well-known in West Germany (see my post https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18268728 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18268728). I openly admit that I had to look up the first West German and second German in space (Ulf Merbold; he is also mentioned in the Zeit article). In my defense, this was before my time. On the other hand, I can immediately additionally name Gerhard Thiele (SRTM - Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) > https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gerhard_Thiele&oldid=767769685 https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gerhard_Thiele&ol... and Thomas Reiter (ISS) > https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Reiter&oldid=860352159 https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Reiter&old... So from my "sister posts" seems to me that in Germany, astronauts have more appreciation from fellow-countrymen than in many other countries.