Ye Olde Rocket Forum

Go Back   Ye Olde Rocket Forum > Weather-Cocked > FreeForAll
User Name
Password
Auctions Register FAQ Members List Calendar Today's Posts Search Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 03-06-2020, 01:40 PM
tbzep's Avatar
tbzep tbzep is offline
Dazed and Confused
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 11,610
Default Living Astronauts

I noticed Axiom is planning to start launching paying customers to fly to the ISS via SpaceX late next year. I believe there are only 16 living astronauts from the Gemini/Apollo era and none of the original Mercury 7 survive. Forgive me if I've forgotten about a passing.

I think in order for all civilian flights to the ISS, NASA should make them include one of these heroes of the program on the flight with them, free of charge. Why? We owe them. Of these 16, there are probably only a small handful that are still healthy enough to go as passengers. They can even get some medical studies done to them on the ISS just for old time's sake. Who wouldn't want to be probed and prodded on an exotic vacation? Of course, the sky was more clear and blue the last time they flew, and some of them did get to hang out in a much more exclusive region of space than LEO. They may not even care to go.

Jim McDivitt
Tom Stafford
Frank Borman
Jim Lovell
David Scott
Michael Collins
Buzz Aldrin
Bill Anders
Rusty Schweikert
Alan Bean
Fred Haise
Al Worden
Charlie Duke
Ken Mattingly
Jack Scmitt
Vance Brand
__________________
I love sanding.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 03-06-2020, 02:11 PM
Earl's Avatar
Earl Earl is offline
Apollo Nut
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,894
Default

Sadly, Alan Bean is gone as of early 2018, I think. But yeah, I think all the guys are probably early 80s and beyond. Buzz turned 90 back in January I believe.

I agree with the sentiment, if they want to go.

Earl
__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 03-07-2020, 07:21 AM
tbzep's Avatar
tbzep tbzep is offline
Dazed and Confused
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: TN
Posts: 11,610
Default

We know it will never happen, but if Glenn could finagle his way back to space when he had no business going on NASA's dime, the rest should have the chance to go.
__________________
I love sanding.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 03-18-2020, 04:59 PM
Earl's Avatar
Earl Earl is offline
Apollo Nut
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,894
Default

Sadly, I just read on the NASA home page that Al Worden, Command Module Pilot for Apollo 15, has passed away.

That leaves Dave Scott as the lone survivor of that crew. Jim Irwin, who walked on the moon with Scott on that mission, was the first of the moon walkers to pass away, I think back around about 1990.


Earl
__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 03-19-2020, 11:00 AM
bernomatic's Avatar
bernomatic bernomatic is offline
Master Modeler
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Posts: 1,174
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by tbzep
We know it will never happen, but if Glenn could finagle his way back to space when he had no business going on NASA's dime, the rest should have the chance to go.


Glenn finagled his way back into space while being a politician (Senator from Ohio). I'm sure the NASA admin people felt they had to keep the pols happy and that giving Glenn what he wanted could help grease the skids.
__________________
Bernard J. Herman Ohio RLS

Starport Sagitta Rockets
email bherman@sagittarockets.com

NAR # 97971 SR

What's your idea on the best way to change Washington D.C.?
Let us know at the Cantina
Sagitta Cantina

We're looking for a few good Catos, please tell us about any you may have had. Survey of Anecdotal Malfunctioning Engines or S.A.M.E.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 03-19-2020, 01:33 PM
Earl's Avatar
Earl Earl is offline
Apollo Nut
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,894
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by bernomatic
Glenn finagled his way back into space while being a politician (Senator from Ohio). I'm sure the NASA admin people felt they had to keep the pols happy and that giving Glenn what he wanted could help grease the skids.


The story I heard several different times (but do not know how true it is) was that Glenn's flight was 'payback' for supporting and standing by the President during the Lewinski 'episode'.

From Air & Space magazine:

"He had always longed to return to space, but Glenn had assumed that chance had been lost forever. Now, at the age of 73, he saw another opportunity. He wasn’t about to ask NASA for a free ride; he would have to show that there were good scientific reasons for sending a septuagenarian into space. He was already in frequent contact with NASA administrator Dan Goldin about the agency’s budget; now he started using those meetings to talk up the idea. At first Goldin thought he was joking. By the end of the year, however, as Glenn continued to raise the subject, telling him all about the conversations he’d been having with researchers at the National Institute on Aging, Goldin realized he meant it.

For the next two years, Glenn worked patiently to advance his cause. Finally, in January 1998, Goldin made it official: In October John Glenn would fly on the space shuttle Discovery, as part of a crew of seven, on a nine-day mission."
=================


January, 1998 is when the Lewinski story broke. So, maybe Glenn had been gently pushing for some way to get a ride on the shuttle and the President's 'issues' at the time gave Glenn an extra bargaining chip.

Earl
__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:46 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin Version 3.0.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe © 1998-2024