Sale Of Astronauts’ Stories Attacked

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30061, 20 February 1963, Page 13

Sale Of Astronauts’ Stories Attacked

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) NEW YORK, February 19 Negotiations by the 16 United States astronauts to sell their personal stories, inclading the trip to the noon, for 3.9M.M9 dollars were sharply criticised today by the “New York Times.” Everything, apparently, can be valued in the marketplace if the opportunity is offered, the newspaper said in an editorial published in its West Coast edition. “The commercial value of

the moon is presumably measured by the difference between the 3,000,000 dollars or so involved in this contract and the mere 500,000 dollars the Mercury astronauts received from a national magazine for their report on thenexperience in merely orbiting the planet. “The heroism involved tn being an astronaut is obviously more lucrative than other types of heroism in connexion with military service, including heroism which may contribute much more to the nation’s survival than a voyage into space. “There do not seem to be any rich contracts for the Americans in South Vietnam daily risking their lives—and sometimes dying—in the terrible jungle war against

■ Communist guerrillas,’' it ■ said. Ordinary service pay was i adequate for the men who i daily flew reconnaissance ■ planes over Cuba and took • pictures on the basis of which • decisions about war or peace ■ were made, the editorial said. i “We do not recall any • similar lucrative contracts i having been signed by those i who fought and died on - Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, or on i the beaches of- Western ► Europe and Anzio. i “Were, and are, these heroes lees deserving of rei ward? The truth of the > matter simply is that toe i marketplace has no business I being involved in the astro- ■ nauts* fortunes,” the newst paper said.