Plastered to the Stars

NASA has found that several astronauts may have been "hammered" while they were preparing for liftoff in the space shuttle.

I find it a bit foolish that astronauts have access to alcohol during the week or so leading up to a launch. Apparently, NASA has a policy called, "twelve hours from the bottle to the throttle." Okay, that's cute, but what does it mean? I suppose some astronauts like to toast their future mission's success by shooting off a cork and indulging in a nice glass of champagne. That's understandable.

What I don't understand is NASA's sudden urgency regarding these alleged incidence. What is the blood-alcohol ratio that the organization finds acceptable for astronauts to participate in a flight? One might think the sober answer is zero.

For some, however, it might be too much stress to bear. The time leading up to lift off certainly must be stressful. I guess they resort to the bottle as a means to calm their nerves.

Here's to you!