2 ms·
My father, who flew combat missions for the Navy in Vietnam and then became a test pilot, told me after the loss of Columbia that if he had had a chance to make
by pdonis 6mo ago
My father, who flew combat missions for the Navy in Vietnam and then became a test pilot, told me after the loss of Columbia that if he had had a chance to make that flight and spend 7 days in Earth orbit, even knowing that he'd burn up on reentry, he'd have done it.
- rvnx 6mo agoOne way to see it: 1) Eventually you will die, no matter what. It can be the most mundane thing. Slipping on a ketchup splatter can cause great damage for example. 2) It's a profession where you intentionally kill people, so, that changes the calculation for your own risk. 3) It's a unique opportunity. (and potentially) 4) Gives a sense of living / be in history books for his family. So you have a possibility of a guaranteed exciting life for a death that you anyway will have, but doing something you love, it's not too bad.
- pdonis 6mo ago> It's a profession where you intentionally kill people Not being an astronaut (or being a test pilot, for that matter). That's the context in which he was speaking.
- WalterBright 6mo agoYour father is a better man than I am.