"It really got to be kind of crazy. You have this
buildup of tension. You go out there and then it gets scrubbed,
then you don't know when you're going to go. ... There were
definitely times when people drank during that period. Duh. But I
don't think it was ever an issue before a mission, like the day of
or the day before."
Source: Former NASA flight surgeon Dr. Jonathan
Clark, commenting on persistent allegations astronauts have flown
into orbit while under the influence of alcohol... and the
implication alcohol abuse is a common problem at the space agency.
Several astronauts contend they have enjoyed a beer or two ahead of
a launch... but that they abide to an unofficial 12-hour
'bottle-to-blast-off' rule, which forbids imbibing in the fin
Read More
