Each and every one of them is fully aware that it’s a massive risk and has made their peace with that. You’re getting strapped to a giant rocket. It’s inherently dangerous

Right, so let's add more risk by flying side by side with some nutjob with no regard for their own life. Sounds reasonable.

I don’t actually think astronauts take massive risks. They take massively well-understood and meticulously mitigated risks.

Maybe this is a perspective or semantics thing, but I think it’s distinct and important. They’re not Mavericks they’re Icemans.

> They take massively well-understood and meticulously mitigated risks.

Hopefully they're well-understood and meticulously mitigated risks. Because if they're not... well there's always modern day Boeing.

Historically, around 60% of all astronauts were from the military which is a high-risk occupation.

In the 50s, there was something like a handful of test pilots dying every single month. A subset of the ones who survived became the first astronauts. My understanding is that there are still a significant number of astronauts who were test pilots first.

If you don't have massive risk tolerance, you don't sign up for a moon mission.