“Are they now subject to charges?”
There were no “charges”. It’s a civil suit. And yes, if you said something defamatory against those astronauts, the astronauts could sue you for defamation.
The difference is the astronauts were public figures, so proving a defamation case would be nearly impossible for them. But Jone was dumb enough to make his statements against people who were not public figures, so they could win their suits quite easily.
“There were no “charges”. It’s a civil suit.”
I understand that; I handled civil cases throughout my career. A “charge” in civil matters is a claim; the allegation can be either a charge or a claim (they are synonymous) of some civil wrongdoing. So, in a personal injury case (in the insurance industry, that includes libel and slander, as opposed to bodily injury or property damage, which are separate and distinct), the charge, or claim, refers to the wrongdoing, or civil tort allegedly committed by the defendant.
“The difference is the astronauts were public figures so proving a defamation case would be nearly impossible for them.”
No, it wouldn’t be nearly impossible. It actually happens regularly, but not as often as a case involving an unknown.
“But Jone was dumb enough to make his statements against people who were not public figures, so they could win their suits quite easily.”
But, what was the defamation? Did he accuse the plaintiffs, by name, of doing something that caused them actual damages? And did they prove those damages?
I just read within the last hour or so that this award was the result of a default judgment, rendered because Jones never showed up to court. Therefore, the plaintiffs didn’t have to prove squat.