Reminds me of the book The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe. He describes the start of the US space program, being a test pilot, public reaction to being a astronaut...

Reminds me of the book The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe. He describes the start of the US space program, being a test pilot, public reaction to being a astronaut... Astronauts were treated like gods back then, or as Wolfe called them "single combat warriors". I think a lot of that sentiment still exists today.