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From: eugene@ames.UUCP (Eugene Miya)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Joy rides
Message-ID: <1363@ames.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 26-Jan-86 14:24:19 EST
Article-I.D.: ames.1363
Posted: Sun Jan 26 14:24:19 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 28-Jan-86 06:15:10 EST
References: <8601222243.AA04061@s1-b.arpa> <8601260112.AA04139@alliant.ARPA>
Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 24

Recently, I was asked this question during a ski weekend prior to Usenix.
I would personally love to make a shuttle ride as my friend Julian Gomez
could attest, but I feel that in the early stages of the space program,
as we are in, we should refrain from joy riding.  Garn had more justification
than the second Congressman.  Today we should be sending a teacher into
space and soon a reporter.  As a NASA employee, I would probably be
one of the least likely picked (but would love to go if the job required
it [an earlier job of mine required that I learn to ski :-) ]) for such
joy rides.  My opinion is that those personnel whose skills and imaginations
can best benefit mankind and space development should go first (I
think this excludes the second Congressman). [11:24 PST, we just had a strong
earthquake (planetary science in action).]  Joy rides too early in the program
will only justify the thoughts of those against space (there are many).
And if you think a ride in space will change their minds, you only need
walk three block North of the Capitol to understand.

From the Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers:
--eugene miya
  NASA Ames Research Center
  {hplabs,ihnp4,dual,hao,decwrl,allegra}!ames!aurora!eugene
  emiya@ames-nas.ARPA

p.s. A friend in Santa Barbara has plunked down $50,000 with Pan Am
for a ride.....