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Re:Sigmund Jähn, the first German to travel into space by brohee on Sunday October 21, 2018 @12:11PM (#18268692)
Tbh, taking the example of a country that didn't disappear, very few people in France would know who the first Frenchman in space was. Then he was not relentlessly hyped by a state propaganda apparatus.

In the grand scheme of things, all but Gagarin and Armstrong are also ran...

Re:Sigmund Jähn, the first German to travel into space by raattgift on Sunday October 21, 2018 @01:16PM (#18268954)
Perhaps Canada isn't sufficiently "grand", but:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Garneau and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Payette

respectively the first Canadian and just one of the twelve Canadians to have been in space.

How about Spain? Recently: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedro_Duque

(There are at least two current MEPs who have been in space, but I will grant you that few people in most EU member-states can name their own MEP, let alone any of the others elected from their country).

One might also compare John Glenn, who while alive, was certainly well known in the USA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Glenn

Certainly there are many U.S. and Canadian astronauts who have never been anything close to well known public figures, but both sets certainly have enjoyed state propaganda (even on the official state broadcaster): https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/canada-s-astronauts-1.875... (for example)

Perhaps "grand scheme" implies international name recognition?

How soon Chris Hadfield's international prominence fades away is an open question; he certainly appears in the UK often enough (he was a "get" -- as in an invited guest the production staff felt fortunate to have present -- on more than one of the the annual BBC astronomy shows put together by Brian Cox and Dara Ó Briaian) and he has been on a number of other broadcasts as part of an "outreach" programme. You yourself may well remember him from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaOC9danxNo

Re:Sigmund Jähn, the first German to travel into space by wolfgke on Sunday October 21, 2018 @03:36PM (#18269708)
> Tbh, taking the example of a country that didn't disappear, very few people in France would know who the first Frenchman in space was.

At least in Germany, Alexander Gerst

> https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alexander_Gerst&o...

who is currently on the ISS

> https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Internati...

has quite celebrity status. Also "nearly everybody" in East Germany knows the Siegmund Jähn from the article and because of the movie "Good Bye, Lenin!", he also became quite well-known in West Germany (see my post https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18268728). I openly admit that I had to look up the first West German and second German in space (Ulf Merbold; he is also mentioned in the Zeit article). In my defense, this was before my time. On the other hand, I can immediately additionally name Gerhard Thiele (SRTM - Shuttle Radar Topography Mission)

> https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gerhard_Thiele&ol...

and Thomas Reiter (ISS)

> https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Thomas_Reiter&old...

So from my "sister posts" seems to me that in Germany, astronauts have more appreciation from fellow-countrymen than in many other countries.

Re:Sigmund Jähn, the first German to travel into space by billfruit on Sunday October 21, 2018 @01:48PM (#18269139)
I wonder how much the UK public remembers the first Britons in space Helen Sharman, curiously it was the Soviets who sent her to space.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Sharman

Re:Sigmund Jähn, the first German to travel into space by festkal on Sunday October 21, 2018 @04:53PM (#18270180)
Re:Sigmund Jähn, the first German to travel into space by raverbashing on Sunday October 21, 2018 @02:18PM (#18269328)
Unfortunately, the 1st teacher who (tried to) go to space will be remembered for a long time.