Comment by InexSquirrel
4 days ago
I suspect it's the optics of it.
If you can fly people around the moon, then landing people on the moon is a more reasonable next step.
I agree that it may not be entirely logical, but keeping public and funding opinion positive & invested _is_ important.
edit: I thought RocketLab flew their elecron rocket around the moon a few years ago? So it's definitely doable... so again I think it's about the optics.
> I suspect it's the optics of it.
That's probably the justification for sending four people. First test flight probably could have been done with one or two pilots.