they paid Howard Hughes to build the Glomar Explorer
It does not take away from your point to point out that one of the reasons they paid Hughes - instead of just banging up Glomar Explorer themselves - was to provide a cover story for the salvage.
Sea-bed mining was where it was at, according to 'My Weekly Reader' from then.
Its very different world, and I could imagine folks who would sign on for orbital 'work' or excursions knowing that 5 - 10% of them would end up dying horribly.
Work, yes. I don't imagine too many honeymoon flights would be booked unless it was safer than that.
Younger Me would have signed up for working in orbit, given those odds. Probably not now - I'm married, have a mortgage, and kids.
Although the pay would be good and the death benefits would set my heirs up pretty well.
It does not take away from your point to point out that one of the reasons they paid Hughes - instead of just banging up Glomar Explorer themselves - was to provide a cover story for the salvage.
Sea-bed mining was where it was at, according to 'My Weekly Reader' from then.
Its very different world, and I could imagine folks who would sign on for orbital 'work' or excursions knowing that 5 - 10% of them would end up dying horribly.
Work, yes. I don't imagine too many honeymoon flights would be booked unless it was safer than that.
Younger Me would have signed up for working in orbit, given those odds. Probably not now - I'm married, have a mortgage, and kids.
Although the pay would be good and the death benefits would set my heirs up pretty well.