Are Astronauts Heroes? - Page 3

mrbaseball · #1 08-29-2007, 03:40 PM

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So anyway, back to astronauts...Why do we perpetuate the astronaut-hero myth? Someone explain it to me. All my life I’ve been told that astronauts are heroes but I’m not really sure why. Are they heroes if they're in it for the glory or if they spend their entire career behind a desk?

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When I was a kid astronauts were a real big deal. The teacher would stop teaching and we would turn on the radio and listen to the live news of the adventures of Alan Sheppard and John Glenn etc. Then of course the moon landings were huge. The movie Apollo 13 shows plenty of heroism both in the craft and on the ground. However Space Shuttle astronauts seem like glorified airline pilots. Not to say that doesn't have it's risks as we have seen horrifically in the past. There is plenty that can go wrong and a certain degree of heroism or risk is certainly implied. But space shuttle missions seem commonplace nowadays and don't hold the romanticism of the initial space shots or going to the moon.

Sholar · #2 08-29-2007, 09:53 PM

I think that the word hero has been debased so much in recent times, which is why you are inclined to think that 'heroes are only for kids.'

An entire profession cannot be composed of heroes (well, outside of graphic novels); one must distinguish oneself. Not every soldier in Iraq is a hero, not even every soldier who died is a hero; one who gave his life by falling on a grenade to save a dozen comrades might well be, though.

Athletes are heroes only by cliche; Jesse Owens might be considered a hero. Police officers, firemen, teachers...there may be times when these professions give rise to heroes (Stand and Deliver?) but there's nothing particularly heroic about the day-to-day life of any of them.

I don't know, maybe I'm too stingy with my heroes. I don't see astronauts are particularly heroic; they are just scientists/pilots with an unusually dangerous job.

diebitter · #3 08-29-2007, 10:11 PM

Did we come up with a definition?

I think heroes are those willing to sacrifice something important in order to help others.

I would certainly call firemen heroes, and astronauts too. The fact that fireman risk dangerous conditions just to help others qualifies them as such. And the fact astronauts do something incredibly risky for the benefit of mankind is something to be greatly admired.

Note sure about the rest of the initial list.

4drugmoney · #4 08-30-2007, 03:34 AM

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soldiers - too much variance to generalize. I think, in large part, they're people who got into the service because it was one of the only things they were qualified to do and too poor to get other training.

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This is one of the most ignorant things I have read on 2+2.

Also, I tried to come up with a lame Astronaut Kidnapping their rival lover joke, but I got nothing.

Jenno99 · #5 08-30-2007, 05:54 AM

I'm a teacher and I certainly don't think of myself or my colleagues as heroes, although I believe we should strive to be role models.

I consider a hero to be someone who puts their life on the line for the benefit of others. A firefighter taking risks in a burning building would qualify, as would a soldier fighting for his country.

Astronauts have a dangerous job for the scientific advancement of mankind so I see going up into space is an heroic act.

katyseagull · #6 08-30-2007, 07:40 AM

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This is one of the most ignorant things I have read on 2+2.

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For some reason it appears you are attributing this quote to diebitter. I'm pretty sure those aren't his words.

katyseagull · #7 08-30-2007, 08:25 AM

Not all astronauts go into space. They can wait for years performing lab studies and research.

Regarding Lisa Nowak (who was arrested for stalking her rival in Florida),

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... the astronauts come under constant scrutiny by their management to determine who will fly and who will not. Some never get assigned to a space mission, yet they are called astronauts as long as they work for NASA.

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Nowak was hired as an astronaut in 1996. It was a decade before she flew into space. During that time, she was passed over again and again. Somewhere along the line during those disappointing years, I think she became brittle. She finally flew, landed and then was sent to the back of the astronaut line again.

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Off topic -- Some people (mainly her lawyer and family) have suggested that Lisa Nowak is a victim of the NASA culture, pressured to be a super achiever, put in a position where she waited 10 yrs to go into space, forced to try to compete with more and more hirees (sp?), etc. Is it possible that the astronaut program is partially to blame for her emotional meltdown?

4drugmoney · #8 08-30-2007, 05:48 PM

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This is one of the most ignorant things I have read on 2+2.

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For some reason it appears you are attributing this quote to diebitter. I'm pretty sure those aren't his words.

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What? Did you read the thread?

katyseagull · #9 08-29-2007, 10:59 PM

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Athletes are heroes only by cliche; Jesse Owens might be considered a hero. Police officers, firemen, teachers...there may be times when these professions give rise to heroes (Stand and Deliver?) but there's nothing particularly heroic about the day-to-day life of any of them.

I don't know, maybe I'm too stingy with my heroes. I don't see astronauts are particularly heroic; they are just scientists/pilots with an unusually dangerous job.

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We seem to have similar opinions on this subject. I'm a little stingy with my heroes too, although for some reason I do understand poker celebrity worship. Go figure.

Anyway, I agree that there's nothing intrinsically heroic about a profession, but the individuals might be people we absolutely admire. I think DaveT came up with a very good definition, actually. A hero is someone we strive to be but know that we will never attain. That's actually quite good, DaveT. I've only had a couple personal heroes in my life. They were individuals who had an impact on my life who I admired very much, not for their bravery but for their compassion and intelligence.

Oh and welcome to the Lounge, Sholar. Hope to see you posting more often.

prohornblower · #10 09-04-2007, 05:20 PM

I've never really thought about it, but yeah I'd consider Astronauts heroes.

They leave their family and friends to go explore relatively uncharted (unchartered?) territory, with a fairly large (compared to other forms of travel) probability of not returning, all in the name of Science and Research. And getting your face on a Stamp.