Thread by @MaryRobinette

Who wants to watch Wally Funk go to space today with some other people?

A New Shepard engineer just used the phrase "professional astronauts" which is a fascinating new construction.

One of the things that bothers me is calling these passengers "astronauts." Spacefarers, yes. I've felt like astronaut ought to be an earned term.

To me, an astronaut is someone who is engaged in space exploration, and science, as part of public service. Are they paid? Yes. Do they have to be flown?

According to NASA, after completing three years of astronaut training, you're an astronaut.

But not a "flown astronaut."

This has been consistent from the beginning. It wasn't crossing the threshold of space that gave you that title, it was the years of training and the purpose that did.

So, you'll hear me talking about these folks as spacefarers.

Except Wally Funk, who is a goddamned astronaut.

One of the things that I do love that Blue Origin is doing is the Club for the Future. The postcard initiative is just really a cool thing.

Getting young people excited about STEM is great.

Mmm... apparently, I'm not done ranting about calling these people "astronauts" and "crew." It's like they are turning spaceflight into a LARP.

Look, I'll grant that they are going up on an experimental flight and that there is risk. The FAA is not allowed by law to do regulation on human spaceflight.

But also, the level of understanding and safety now is not comparable to what Alan Shepard faced on his flight.

"Astronots" - This is a term that Blue Origin has coined for people who did the testing of the training, except for going to space. You know... the scientists and engineers who have been working on this for years.

You know who I keep thinking of? Amelia Earhart.

She gets credit for being the first woman to fly across the Atlantic. The image that the general public has (except for you, obviously) is that she was the pilot.

She wasn't. Not then.

She became a celebrity in her time for being a passenger on that first trans-Atlantic trip. On landing, she said, "Stultz did all the flying—had to. I was just baggage, like a sack of potatoes."

Because of the ride, she became wildly famous and was called "Queen of the Air."

The experience also started Earhart on a path to trying to set an "untarnished" record of her own.

By all accounts of her peers, she wasn't a great pilot. Competent, yes, but not brilliant.

THERE'S WALLY FUNK! Go Wally!

I can already hear the joy in her voice, even if I can't hear the words.

NO COMMENTATOR. She was not part of the Mercury 13 program to train women to go space. There was not such thing. ::deep breath::

In 1961, Wally was part of the Woman in Space study that put women through the same selection tests that the Mercury astronauts went through.

These women called themselves the First Lady Astronaut Trainees aka FLATs. The term Mercury 13 was coined in the 1980s for a documentary.

In 1961, Wally was part of the Woman in Space study that put women through the same selection tests that the Mercury astronauts went through.

These women called themselves the First Lady Astronaut Trainees aka FLATs. The term Mercury 13 was coined in the 1980s for a documentary.

Wally has over 19,600 logged flying hours.

For perspective, this is roughly the equivalent of flying 1 hour a day for 50 years or a cross-country flight every day for 10 years.

She's taught over 3000 people to fly.

Oh my God. I love her enthusiasm and joy.

The spacefarers are ascending the tower. I am vaguely surprised that they are climbing stairs instead of using an elevator.

Okay, back to Amelia Earhart commentary... The thing is that in the early days of airflight, they recruited a fair number of women pilots as a way to prove that airflight was safe.

(LOOK AT THE SMILE ON WALLY'S FACE AS SHE CROSSES THE BRIDGE)

At the beginning of air travel, it was all military or millionaires. The transition to airplanes being ubiquitous took decades. The phase that we're in now is part of that transition for spaceflight.

I'm genuinely happy that commercial spaceflight is happening. Only...astronot.

The size of the windows on New Shepard! The Mercury astronauts had to fight to get a window at all.

I wonder what Wally was pulling on that they told her she didn't need to. Trying to find the controls?

Of the FLATS, only Wally and Gene Nora Jessen are still alive. Gene Nora had to stop flying in 2017 due to macular degeneration.

I wonder what she thinks about this day.

When you hear people yelling at Wally, it's not because she's daft. Wally has been around airplanes for her entire life and has a fair bit of hearing loss.

I'm struck by how short the New Shepard is. 60 feet. That's about a four-story building.

The Mercury-Restone that Alan Shepard went up in was 83 feet and Saturn V was 363 feet.

I wonder if the hold is the standard hold that's built-in with NASA or if it's for another reason.

I've read that this is an instantaneous launch window today, but am not clear if it really is. -- Mm. Based on the commenator's stalling, it's not a planned hold.

There's something that NASA calls "launch fever" which is the urge people have to Go and downplay problems in order to launch.

But the hold is lifted and the clock is ticking again.

The Go/No Go poll! This is where they go through each department and everyone says whether they are prepared for launch.

Getting closer!

Soon, Wally, sooooooon!

"The fasten seatbelt light goes off on the panel."

Will the beverage cart come around?

They are talking about how many people have been over the Karman line. A little over 560.

66 have been women.
15 have been Black

This is also why I'm so thrilled that Wally is going up today and also why I'm so salty about the composition of the passenger list.

30 seconds to Go!

Wally is in space! ABOUT GODDAMNED TIME.

LISTEN TO HER LAUGHING!

Look, I don't have any commentary here, except that they are all having a great time and Wally went to space.

I want to know how many g's they experience on this.

Part of why I can't get mad about any of the passengers choosing to go is because *I* would go if someone offered me the option.

I can get salty about the selection process and the gatekeeping. But not about choosing to go.

(Still not astronauts. Except Wally)

That was a beautiful launch. The joy in everyone's voice is just great.

I mean, it's still LARPing being an actual astronaut but that's a LARP that I would 100% play if offered the chance.

They're talking about how natural zero-g felt. Technically, free-fall, but besides that space-sickness frequently doesn't hit people until later into flight.

So the fact that they all feel fine isn't a predictor of how they would do on a longer duration visit to space.

Great detail about needing to ground the vehicle after landing because of the electrical buildup that can occur during launch (although not as a result of going to space which the commentator said.)

The little stairs to get out are adorable!

WALLY! YOU HAVE BEEN IN SPACE! Her smile. Her smile is everything. She just said, "You've got to get up there!"

I'm just crying watching her smile.

This is a woman who snuck out of a formal dance so she could go night flying.

I'm going leave you with this question...

The Wright Brothers flew in 1903.
The 1st commercial airline was in 1914.
The 1st commercial international flight was in 1917
The FAA wasn't created until 1958.

What happens next with commercial human spaceflight?