Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!censor!geac!dmntor!bill
From: bill@dmntor.UUCP (Bill Kyle)
Subject: Re: married astronauts to fly together?
Message-ID: <1991Feb4.172222.24996@dmntor.UUCP>
Reply-To: bill@dmntor.UUCP (Bill Kyle)
Organization: Digital Media Networks, Toronto, Canada
References: <1991Feb1.223556.2313@infonode.ingr.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Feb 91 17:22:22 GMT
Lines: 41

In article <1991Feb1.223556.2313@infonode.ingr.com> drudetb@infonode.ingr.com (Ted B. Drude) writes:
>>A much more likely source of trouble than the psychiatrists is management
>>worried about the reaction from the religious Right.  It is not an accident
>>that none of the married couples has ever flown together.
>
>Oh really? That means NASA has deliberately kept married astronauts from
>being on the same flight before,  right?  Do you have any objective
>source for this or are you just blowing some weird biased smoke out of
>your own brain?
>
>There might be some folks who would get a bit upset over a non-married
>couple having sex in orbit for experimental purposes at taxpayer expense
>(which,  as some have asserted on the net,  has occurred on previous
>flights).  But name ONE member of the "Religious Right" (or any other
>religious ""Direction" for that matter) that would  object to a MARRIED
>couple being together,  whether on  earth or in orbit,  in either a
>conjugal or non-conjugal sense.  
>
>A more likely scenario is that NASA has just never thought about the
>ramifications of a married couple being on a mission together at all. 
>They will probably "study" the issue for a while and conclude that
>nobody in their right mind should have any objections,  be they
>religious or not. 

I agree that there are no political/religous grounds for NASA not to have
married couples in orbit, however there are some "organizational behavior"
issues. The emotional bonds that married couples have are known to 
disrupt normal working relations throughtout various working groups. Many
males (yes even professionals) resent seeing their wives ordered about. 
Consider as well that this job is sometimes dangerous, in tense situations
of danger concern for ones spouse who is also on board can be overwhelming.

In short...I don't think the "Religious Right" has anything to do with it.
However, you are wrong if you think NASA has never thought about the 
ramifications on the basis of the work-relationship of the crew.

With respect.....

Bill