A 10-minute tourist flight to the edge of space makes you an astronaut in the same way a ferry ride makes you a sailor or visiting a hotel high in the Swiss Alps makes you a mountaineer.
this post was submitted on 21 Dec 2025
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space tourists are not ASTRONAUTs, astronauts are professionals that have actual work to do. theres a real reason why they have to go through extensive training and medical testing to even qualify.
And next you are telling me that you don't become a sailor by going on a cruise! Ridiculous! /s
Ahoy fellow seafarer!
Look, ever since I took that cross Canada passenger flight I've constantly bragged about my aeronautical skill.
Kept my seatbelt on when the light was lit: AERONAUGHT!
Don't take this away from me!
I suggest we start calling them asstronauts.
I want to downvote it cuz Bezos. Don't want to because good feelings for this person.
Also you literally don't need legs in space. This person should be considered for the full ride.
That's why bezos keeps doing it.
"I'm testing the billionaire space tour bus with teachers, children, disabled folks with a story so YOU don't wish my rockets explode and then someone can write an inspirational article about Katy Perry going to space on girl power or something"
They’ll let anyone be an astronaut these days
Except plebs. They need to keep working.
Suborbital hops shouldn't count as space, even if crossing the Karman line. Orbital and atmospheric reentry is a whole different energy and design space.