As promised – to celebrate our independence, as well as the spirit of adventure that made our country great – I’m happy to share my conversation with a true American hero. Scott Tingle is an engineer, a decorated fighter pilot, a fierce defender of the skilled trades, and an astronaut. He’s also a devoted husband and a loving father who would, if invited, go to Mars “in a heartbeat.”
That’s a year to get there, two weeks on the surface, and a year or so to get back.
And still, he’d go – in a heartbeat.
Given all the chatter about the recent dive to the Titanic, and the danger that always accompanies every endeavor, and our increasing and mistaken belief that risk can be eliminated, I thought it might time to check in with a man who has assumed more risk in the course of doing his job than most of us can even imagine. I also thought it would be a good opportunity to better understand how we poop in space, which we discuss at length in the attached video. You’re welcome.
Mike
PS I’ve put the link in the comments, so the Facebook algorithm won’t punish me.
PPS Last week, when I mentioned that I’d be interviewing Scott, over 700 of you posed questions for me to pass along. Many thanks. We got to a few. Apologies if yours was not among them.
PPPS Some will bristle at the idea of comparing a trip to Mars with a trip to the Titanic, or juxtaposing exploration projects funded by the government with private enterprise. The more interesting debate, in my opinion, is between the increasingly large number of people who see no point in dangerous expeditions, and those who believe such expeditions have inherent value. That’s a conversation worth having, especially on the day we celebrate our most basic freedoms.
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