My father, who flew combat missions for the Navy in Vietnam and then became a test pilot, told me after the loss of Columbia that if he had had a chance to make that flight and spend 7 days in Earth orbit, even knowing that he'd burn up on reentry, he'd have done it.
replyOne way to see it:
reply 1) Eventually you will die, no matter what. It can be the most mundane thing. Slipping on a ketchup splatter can cause great damage for example.
2) It's a profession where you intentionally kill people, so, that changes the calculation for your own risk.
3) It's a unique opportunity.
4) Gives a sense of living / be in history books for his family.
> It's a profession where you intentionally kill people
replyNot being an astronaut (or being a test pilot, for that matter). That's the context in which he was speaking.
Your father is a better man than I am.
replyHighly recommend The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe about the Gemini astronauts. They mostly were test pilots prior.
replyThe movie was good too. I haven't seen it in years, but from memory:
replyGordo! Who's the best pilot you ever saw? -- You're lookin' at him!
Loan me a stick of Beemans.
Light this candle!
It just blew!
No bucks, no Buck Rogers.