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>How would you feel if you were one of them? >I'd feel pretty upset. Agreed. Yes, flying in space is cool. No, most people don't want to do this indefinitely
by TMWNN 2y ago
>How would you feel if you were one of them?
>I'd feel pretty upset.
Agreed.
Yes, flying in space is cool. No, most people don't want to do this indefinitely. Astronauts retire all the time even when they are 100% guaranteed more flight time if they didn't retire; a whole bunch did that in the 1960s and 1970s (some, like Frank Borman, 100% guaranteed to walk on the moon), and more during the shuttle era.
It's one thing to have a mission extended by a day, as happened to the shuttle routinely because of bad weather at the landing site. Skylab 4's mission I believe got extended by 28 days, but that was a known possibility before launch. To have an eight-day mission be possibly extended to eight months is in no way shape or form OK.
- teractiveodular 2y agoWould you prefer 8 months and a safe ride down on a Dragon, or 8 days and taking your chances on the Starliner? Not a rhetorical question, since you can argue both sides of the case. Even floating around in space for 8 months is not risk free.
- TMWNN 2y ago>Even floating around in space for 8 months is not risk free. Correct. That said, ISS's quarter century of operations is a pretty good track record. Starliner's so far is dismal. The best solution is to bring Wilmore and Williams back sooner than February. If that means Boeing paying for a rescue Crew Dragon launch, so be it.