The Scandal NASA Wishes Never Happened

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Credits
Writer: Julia Masselos
Editor: Nick Shishkin
Thumbnail Designer: Peter Sheppard
Producer: Alex McColgan / Raquel Taylor

NASA/ESO/ESA

#astrum #nasa #moon #lunar #spaceexploration #space #astronauts

[katesmiles]

I was more concerned that NASA stopped covering life insurance for the astronauts.

[heathmcrigsby]

NASA getting rid of life insurance for astronauts was insane.

[Apostate]

NASA was supposedly concerned about anything that might reflect poorly on its integrity, but it doesn't offer life insurance to its employees. Got it.

[TheSolidSnakeOil]

NASA cut their insurance? I'd sell NASA out without a second thought.

[jet_lee]

All of this could have been avoided if the astronauts were paid properly with pension for a dangerous job

[keplerf]

They ask those men to lay down their lives and yet have no protection whatsoever for the families left behind.... and stamps are considered a scandal?!?

[bilibili]

The moment you said "the astronauts no longer received life insurance", I knew whatever they did, they must have been in the right.

[Scott_Buchanan]

I wish politicians were held to that high of a standard

[lnr]

If i was an astronaut and NASA canceled my life insurance, i would bring everything, including the kitchen sink up there just for spite

[patchworking]

In the years before his death, Al Worden spoke about this openly and the impact it made on his life. It was a sobering conversation and one I’ll always remember.
It’s important to recall that these men were under incredible pressure and the impacts of this situation were life changing.

[chumpmu]

Wow - the fact that NASA stopped giving their astronauts life insurance is insane.

[Enigmanaut]

This "scandal" seems remarkably tame and mild compared to the nonsense that happens today.

[entropiated]

The thing that blows me away is that inflation has made $7000 1970 dollars worth $54, 000 today. That's madness.

[smorris]

Fun fact. Most astronauts during this time who were still active military pilots, were not NASA employees and not paid by NASA. They only received their regular military pay, and were not paid extra for their NASA duties. Their NASA duties were considered extracurricular. Civilian astronauts like Neil Armstrong, who was retired from the Navy, actually did work for NASA, and paid by them.

[stgeorgeist]

sending men into space with no actual insurance cover if they were to die
is also a problem never mentioned nor what happens in the case to their children and wives
A small amount of pay back by covers is a small reward for their part in mans dream to coquer space and beyond

[VocalChainsStudio]

What a wild scandal. To think, years later the president would be promoting junk food brands from his desk in the Oval Office. Times have changed.

[simtexa]

The real lesson here is to never skimp out on the life insurance for the people who are putting their lives on the line for you.

[matt]

Funny how underwater deep sea welders make a lot of money due to the risks, but these guys can't.

[robertfindley]

If that's the worse these guys did, they are pretty good guys.

[brianh.]

To quote you, “Today, astronauts can still carry NASA approved personal items and mementos aboard missions but coins, stamps, and postal materials that, by their nature, lend themselves to exploitation by their recipients are forbidden by Federal regulation.” This is not correct. Coins, medals, stamps, etc were carried by the astronauts on virtually every STS mission and are available for sale periodically, typically through the major auction houses.