Space: The Private Frontier

Feast your eyes upon the Mercury Seven. Here you have the very bravest, smartest, fittest, and toughest human beings America had to offer back in 1959. True American badasses. The training these gentlemen went through in preparation for space travel is legendary. They took the very worst NASA could throw at them. Well, all except for that guy to the left of John Glenn in the middle. That's Deke Slayton. Deep into training, NASA scientists discovered an irregular heart beat during Slayton's testing. He was denied a Mercury mission as a result.
    I bring this up because Stephen Hawking went into space today. As you no doubt know, Hawking is a paraplegic.

Perhaps I should be glad that space is no longer a place for an elite few. Maybe we will all be able to enjoy a recreational space ride some day. I doubt it, though. Instead, excellence is being replaced by money as a prerequisite for space travel. Someday soon, outer space will become the private frontier for the rich and famous. A far less deserving elite.
    Yes, Hawking is brilliant. Good for him that he was able to go into space. I get it that space is an important part of his research. I applaud the way he rises above his disability. He is inspiring in his own right. But let me mourn the fact that space was once a very different and more awe-inspiring place. A place where giants and heroes soared high above us all. A place where even a Deke Slayton was once denied entry.