I think it is one of the best things that came out of the cold war. War is destructive by nature, military campaigns are expensive, hurt both the attacker and

I think it is one of the best things that came out of the cold war. War is destructive by nature, military campaigns are expensive, hurt both the attacker and the defender, and the only reason is that governments want to govern instead of the other governments. There are some beneficial side effects to war, but overall, it is all about destruction. The space race, culminating in the moon landings was not destructive, it was about doing something that hasn't been done before. Sure it was a pissing context, but it was for progress, not destruction. As for astronauts as heroes, it sure was part of the propaganda, but they were actually part of something great. Compare to war heroes, who, in different contexts, would be called mass murderers. I am not into heroes and adulation in general, but should we make people heroes, I think astronauts are in a good spot. There are generally good people (it actually was an important criteria for selection), intelligent, hard working and healthy. And they put their lives on the line for something awesome.