Report: Drunk Astronauts Allowed on Shuttle

Are we surprised? Recent studies show that a third of people who have very stressfull occupations use alcohol to excess to help cope. If there is a more stressfull job then sitting on top of that much rocket fuel waiting for it to go off, I don't want to know. I think the problem is that we tend to put astronauts on an unreasonably high pedestal, and forget that they are human, just the same as everyone else.

Yeah, I think I'd have to have a few before being loaded on to a contolled-explosion bomb!

Geeze, I think EVERYONE'S doing that now! Look, Paris Hilton's NG blog has a post about it!

WOW - I can understanding them drinking alcohol, but being under the influence when the Shuttle launches is scary! I wouldn't be impressed if I was an astronaught and my co-workers showed up plastered! I wouldn't be impressed if it happened here in the office, and I don't rely on anyone here to stay alive!

You are absolutely right, of course, but how would your organization deal with the situation? Our policy is to provide help and support, and manage the problem. Only if the person concerned refuses to confront the fact that there is a problem, quite common, do we go the disciplinary route. I'd say the first step is to put the offending crew on non operational duties until the underlaying causes are identified.

Apparently, these special people can perform extreme tasks beyond most human capabilities, in the first place. Although downright drunken behavior is offensive, the exact level of intoxication was eluded to, here.

None of us actually seen these people and we cannot know if exaggeration was used to support character assassination of certain crew members. It looks as though such assault is quite common when history, space flight or a suitable partner are on the line. Even our fine politicians are known to have had a few belts prior to flight.

If the "12 hours between bottle to throttle" rule need be extended to 14 or 18 hours, wouldn't it have already been extended during 50 years of flight testing?

I think we would all have to meet the minimum standards of space flight training and have been present to see these fine people, in person for our selves; in order to judge who was out of the box on this one.

What first concerns me is the quality of the malt.

Self-discretion always applies. "A neat desk is the sign of a weak mind."