Editor's note: The following was posted by Rand Simberg on his "Transterrestrial Musings" blog. Yes, I guess it is still funny for some sickos to make jokes about more astronauts getting killed - and to make sure to get a link to a
drunk crazy astronaut story in the process.
Apparently, the concern is not for loss of the vehicle (and of course, the crew, but we have lots of astronauts*, and only three orbiters left)
* Of course, the fact that we'd lose Barbara Morgan, the other "teacher in space" (quotes because she's officially an astronaut) would have dire PR effects.