[dep]

with all due respect to those aboard columbia, and those aboard challenger, too, there's not one among them who would have gotten aboard if they had the slightest inkling that the shuttle was as unreliable and dangerous as it not only was but was known to be.

the lesson from those lamentable disasters is that congress should not micromanage the design of things like spacecraft, and certainly the design and choice of contractors ought not be pork-barrel items.

[Prime Choice]

with all due respect to those aboard columbia, and those aboard challenger, too, there's not one among them who would have gotten aboard if they had the slightest inkling that the shuttle was as unreliable and dangerous as it not only was but was known to be.

Then by your logic, the firefighters who died in the Twin Towers on 9/11 are not heroes either. So come out and say as much or admit your own hypocrisy.

[BoBToMatoE]

Dep,

I disagree. If you know ANYTHING about space travel you know that every single one of them knew the risks. When you are riding a controlled explosion into space, not matter how "safe" we make it look, it still stares death in the face.

[pgyanke]

Every astronaut boards the craft with the knowledge that their trip could be one way. You are incorrect.

[Frank_Discussion]

Re: Your first paragraph - I know a few astronauts and their families, and you're completely full of sh*t. They know it's a dangerous line of work, and recruitment has continued just fine since both Challenger and Columbia, so obviously these tragedies are NOT scaring people off.

Re: Your second paragraph - I happen to agree.

[Ravenstar]

With all due respect, I work at Kennedy Space Center. I had worked with two of those astronauts directly. They know there is risk and that things can go wrong that we don't know about and yet they get on that extremely complex vehicle to push back the boundaries of our knowledge. They take the risk willingly so I disagree with both of you. They are heros and they go knowing there is a risk.

Ravenstar

[snopercod]

...there's not one among them who would have gotten aboard if they had the slightest inkling that the shuttle was as unreliable and dangerous as it not only was but was known to be.

You don't know much about human nature, do you.

[RightWhale]

there's not one among them who would have gotten aboard

Yes, they did now and they went anyway. There are a million more who would do the same thing. Ten million.

[Joe Hadenuf]

with all due respect to those aboard columbia, and those aboard challenger, too, there's not one among them who would have gotten aboard if they had the slightest inkling that the shuttle was as unreliable and dangerous as it not only was but was known to be.

This was not a mass produced flying Honda car where millions were made. A proven product so to speak.

Every launch, every flight was a big time risk to anyone on board. Shuttle flights were never routine no matter what the media may say. They all knew this going in.

Many of them don't go into prayer service before launch for nothing. They were hero's.

[RadioAstronomer]

there's not one among them who would have gotten aboard if they had the slightest inkling that the shuttle was as unreliable and dangerous as it not only was but was known to be.

Codswallop! I would have been first in line!