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Astronauts

A Sad Photo Essay on Human Space Flight (Optimistic Update)

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
August 7, 2011
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Keith’s note: I do not think suicide is funny – under any circumstance. Yet this photo essay makes a point – and it uses a powerful iconic image of an anonymous person in a spacesuit in an exaggerated fashion to make that point. A lot of people are rather depressed and demoralized right now with the retirement of the Space Shuttle. Entire careers have come to an abrupt end. Yet some people (including the media) have gone overboard and are waving their arms around as if NASA itself is going to disappear – and that it is deliberatley doing this to itself. Some people see humor in this photo collection. I see sadness – sadness bordering on bad taste. Suicides are often a cry for help. Slide the bar under the image to scroll through the image collection and see for yourself.
Maybe someone could come up with a more inspiring version of this photo essay – one that points to the future ahead?
Jason Silverman’s note: That Astronaut Suicides photo essay was pretty disturbing. You asked for something portraying the opposite viewpoint, and I thought of sending you this collage that I made this summer. It shows how much we have to look forward to in space over the coming decade. Larger view

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.