Comments on: Where does space begin?

By: Chance

Chance — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 18:18:25 +0000

Obviously. And obviously the other government employees haven’t.

As I said, all terms will eventually fall by the wayside. Nobody calls people who fly in planes or blimps “Aeronauts” anymore.

By: Andy T

Andy T — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 17:20:58 +0000

That’s because “Astronaut” is an official US government job title. Obviously, those on shuttle and station have met the criterion (flown) that you question.

By: Chance

Chance — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 15:40:07 +0000

If I am wrong please correct me, but my understanding is that some personnel trained in certain programs at NASA get the title astronaut, even though they never go into space. Isn’t a bit ludicrious to say someone who has went into space isn’t an astronaut, while someone who hasn’t is?

I’d rather we dropped the term altogether, and the people on the station and shuttle get called what they are: “government employees”.

By: Chris Mann

Chris Mann — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 17:24:06 +0000

No, I’m suggesting they could be replaced by a very small shell script.

By: Zen Punk

Zen Punk — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 10:37:42 +0000

Are you contending that an astronaut does nothing unique and could be replaced at any point in a mission by an inexperienced, untrained person? Docking, manuevers such as the RPM, and landing are not fully automated. The pilot would not be flown if he was useless.

By: Chris Mann

Chris Mann — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 16:59:33 +0000

I just donâ€™t think that the word is appropriate for people who go just for the experience as opposed to piloting the spacecraft

Oh bullshit.

All a shuttle astronaut does is push the button to lower the landing gear. Even that would have been automated like the Buran had the astronaut corps not made such a big stink about it.

By: Zen Punk

Zen Punk — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 16:08:59 +0000

I don’t think that astronauts are better than anyone else who goes into space. I just don’t think that the word is appropriate for people who go just for the experience as opposed to piloting the spacecraft, retreiving a satellite etc. If you take a cruise, are you a sailor? You do have to train and qualify to be a “pilot” as well, though one could be referred to as such without flying for a living if one holds a license. Up to now, almost everyone who has gone into space does it for a living. It’s really just semantics – I think the distinction between those who get paid to do it vs. those who pay to go should be acknowledge. Ultimately, the general public will decide if everyone who goes into space is an “astronaut” or if some of them are “astronauts” and some of them are “space tourists” by using the words enough that it becomes common parlance.

By: Sam Dinkin

Sam Dinkin — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 14:17:34 +0000

Zen Punk, you are an elitist. How about we call them professional astronauts? What’s the point of having a professional astronaut corps; to glorify the astronauts? No, to open space and astronautics to everyone! Do you call a general aviation pilot not a pilot?

Re: the article. Funny how they managed to get persnickety about subjects that the market has had no problem deciding on, but miss liability and safety standards.

By: Zen Punk

Zen Punk — Sat, 02 Sep 2006 10:23:43 +0000

I think to call space tourists “astronauts” does a great disservice to the men and women who work for years and sometimes give their lives to carry out missions of exploration and scientific research. I think the term astronaut should be reserved for those who go to space professionaly to carry out activities there.