[jlogajan]

(shrug)--astronauts are just passengers, anyway. Never could figure out the fuss made over them.

They are incredibly brave passengers. All rockets are designed to just barely not blow up -- sometimes they do anyway.

[Mamzelle]

Lots of things blow up.... mostly they're brave enough to grin for the cameras. Rock stars want to buy tickets into space...are rock stars really brave? These astronauts can't hold a family together, get involved with a lot of money-losing schemes, trade on their brief moments and won't stop those who sell secrets to the Chinese--

Those who see these "heroes" at close range don't take them very seriously. Lovell was quite the exception. Mostly it was unsung technicians who got us into space, not the seat meat.