(EAC) writes:

Actually, getting to space is WAY TOO risky. What person in a right
mind would sit in a vehicle with oversized firecrackers strapped to
it? What person in a right mind would stay in cans for months, even up
to a year?

There are plenty of people who want to go, despite the risk. It's
part of human nature to explore. Early explorers faced similar risks
when they set sail over the oceans, yet this didn't seem to stop those
missions. Just because you think its too risky doesn't mean the
missions aren't worth the risk.

The bigger impact of losing such an expensive mission is the lost
man-years of work put in by people on the ground. The loss of life of
a handful of astronauts, while tragic and emotionally devastating, is
far smaller in terms of man-years.

If such a mission is worth the man-years of work on the ground, it's
worth putting people on the mission, in order to help it succeed.

Jeff
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