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Astronaut deaths: shuttle versus other accidental deaths
I see all the talk about the risk of flying the shuttle and it makes
me wonder. 14 astronauts have died in shuttle accidents. Over the same time period, how many astronauts have died from other accidental causes such as car or aircraft crashes ? A lot of professions are risky. Is the shuttle flight risk that much more than say building a highrise, working on microwave/radio towers, etc. ? -- David |
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Astronaut deaths: shuttle versus other accidental deaths
Maybe a s much as serving in or around the US armed forces?
:-) Brian -- Brian Gaff.... graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them Email: __________________________________________________ __________________________ __________________________________ "David Ball" wrote in message news | I see all the talk about the risk of flying the shuttle and it makes | me wonder. 14 astronauts have died in shuttle accidents. Over the same | time period, how many astronauts have died from other accidental | causes such as car or aircraft crashes ? | | A lot of professions are risky. Is the shuttle flight risk that much | more than say building a highrise, working on microwave/radio towers, | etc. ? | | -- David | --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 19/08/03 |
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Astronaut deaths: shuttle versus other accidental deaths
Hallerb wrote: Maybe a s much as serving in or around the US armed forces? :-) Brian Its what 50 times unsafer than flying a jet in combat? And it's far unsafer than flying a jet in peacetime. Does anyone know of a U.S. military jet that has a failure rate of 2 fatal crashes in 100 flights? -- Steven D. Litvintchouk Email: Remove the NOSPAM before replying to me. |
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Astronaut deaths: shuttle versus other accidental deaths
"David Ball" wrote in message
news I see all the talk about the risk of flying the shuttle and it makes me wonder. 14 astronauts have died in shuttle accidents. Over the same time period, how many astronauts have died from other accidental causes such as car or aircraft crashes ? I can think of three offhand... Pete Conrad and those two fellows flying the T-38 during the Gemini program. I remember seeing a few "deceased" notices in the astronaut bios at NASA's site as well. My round guess would be seven or eight people, maybe half of the "killed during flight" total. A lot of professions are risky. Is the shuttle flight risk that much more than say building a highrise, working on microwave/radio towers, etc. ? Compared to being an inner-city cop, miner, or firefighter, I'd guess "no". The thing about spaceflight is that the risk is *total* - you're not really facing a broad variety of possibilities (minor injury, major injury, being trapped somewhere, disability, etc) but the single Big Possibility of absolute death, should something go wrong. You're gambling on slightly better odds, but with higher stakes. |
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Astronaut deaths: shuttle versus other accidental deaths
"David Ball" wrote:
I see all the talk about the risk of flying the shuttle and it makes me wonder. 14 astronauts have died in shuttle accidents. Over the same time period, how many astronauts have died from other accidental causes such as car or aircraft crashes ? Astronauts killed in accidents: Pre-shuttle 1964 31 Oct Ted Freeman Plane crash 1966 28 Feb Elliot See Plane crash 28 Feb Charlie Bassett Plane crash 1967 06 Jun Ed Givens Car accident 05 Oct CC Williams Plane crash Shuttle era 1986 24 May Steve Thorne Plane crash 1989 17 Jun Dave Griggs Plane crash 1991 05 Apr Sonny Carter Plane crash 1996 22 Mar Bob Overmyer Plane crash 1999 08 Jul Charles "Pete" Conrad Motor-cycle accident 2001 24 May Patricia Hilliard Plane crash/burns -- Brian Lawrence Wantage, Oxfordshire, UK --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.512 / Virus Database: 309 - Release Date: 19/08/2003 |
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Astronaut deaths: shuttle versus other accidental deaths
1996 22 Mar Bob Overmyer Plane crash
1999 08 Jul Charles "Pete" Conrad Motor-cycle accident If you want to add former astronauts, then Karl Henize as well, who died while trying to ascend Mt. Everest. -A.L. |
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Astronaut deaths: shuttle versus other accidental deaths
"Kent Betts" wrote:
"David Ball" wrote in message news I see all the talk about the risk of flying the shuttle and it makes me wonder. 14 astronauts have died in shuttle accidents. Over the same time period, how many astronauts have died from other accidental causes such as car or aircraft crashes ? There have been a few astronauts killed in airplane crashes, road crashes, a pad accident, and so on. However flying on the shuttle is still much riskier than routine daily activities. It's worth pointing out that over the history of manned space exploration, almost twenty times as many submariners have died in significant operational accidents *in the US forces alone* than astronauts *of all countries*. (Yet almost no one has shed tears in this group over my lost brothers.) The problem is much less the risk of space flight, than a groundless belief that all activities should be as safe as a day in a nursery school. D. -- The STS-107 Columbia Loss FAQ can be found at the following URLs: Text-Only Version: http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq.html Enhanced HTML Version: http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq_x.html Corrections, comments, and additions should be e-mailed to , as well as posted to sci.space.history and sci.space.shuttle for discussion. |
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Astronaut deaths: shuttle versus other accidental deaths
"Terrence Daniels" wrote:
A lot of professions are risky. Is the shuttle flight risk that much more than say building a highrise, working on microwave/radio towers, etc. ? Compared to being an inner-city cop, miner, or firefighter, I'd guess "no". The thing about spaceflight is that the risk is *total* - you're not really facing a broad variety of possibilities (minor injury, major injury, being trapped somewhere, disability, etc) but the single Big Possibility of absolute death, should something go wrong. You're gambling on slightly better odds, but with higher stakes. Utterly wrong. You think that bailing out during a contingency abort only leads to the possibility of death or no injury? What about running from a pad fire? What about failure of a suit circuit while in the HAC? What about the myriad of other opportunities for major or minor injury during a flight? D. -- The STS-107 Columbia Loss FAQ can be found at the following URLs: Text-Only Version: http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq.html Enhanced HTML Version: http://www.io.com/~o_m/columbia_loss_faq_x.html Corrections, comments, and additions should be e-mailed to , as well as posted to sci.space.history and sci.space.shuttle for discussion. |
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Astronaut deaths: shuttle versus other accidental deaths
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Astronaut deaths: shuttle versus other accidental deaths
In article , Derek Lyons wrote:
"Kent Betts" wrote: "David Ball" wrote in message news I see all the talk about the risk of flying the shuttle and it makes me wonder. 14 astronauts have died in shuttle accidents. Over the same time period, how many astronauts have died from other accidental causes such as car or aircraft crashes ? There have been a few astronauts killed in airplane crashes, road crashes, a pad accident, and so on. However flying on the shuttle is still much riskier than routine daily activities. It's worth pointing out that over the history of manned space exploration, almost twenty times as many submariners have died in significant operational accidents *in the US forces alone* than astronauts *of all countries*. (Yet almost no one has shed tears in this group over my lost brothers.) That's interesting. I hear about sub accidents now and then, but had no idea what the statistics were. You'd be wrong in my case, re shedding tears. This assumes that the media considers such things "newsworthy" enough to bother reporting. I think the last sub tragedy I heard about was the Russian sub which sank a few years ago. The problem is much less the risk of space flight, than a groundless belief that all activities should be as safe as a day in a nursery school. There seems to be a widespread belief that all danger should be removed from everything. It drives me crazy. (Well, crazier.) Among other things, it seems like a really boring way to "live", if you could call it that. *sigh* Steve |
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