Via Reuters: Report claims “heavy” alcohol use by NASA astronauts

“Interviews with both flight surgeons and astronauts identified some episodes of heavy use of alcohol by astronauts in the immediate preflight period, which has led to flight safety concerns,” the report said.

The panel did not say when the incidents took place or name the astronauts involved.

“We don’t have enough data to call it alcohol abuse,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Richard Bachmann, panel chairman and commander of the Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, who offered few details of the two incidents cited in the report.

“We have no way of knowing if these are the only two incidents that have ever occurred in the history of the astronaut corps or if they are the tip of a very large iceberg,” Bachmann said during a 90-minute news conference.

On the one hand one’s immediate reaction is that that can’t be a good thing. On the other I suppose the severity of the issue would depend on who exactly was getting liquored up. If it was the pilot, co-pilot or the like, then NASA, we really have a problem. If it is a flight specialist who is having a hard time getting ready to be blasted into space, well then that’s another thing.