I have a different view of space travelers. They have a unique and better perspective than those who have never orbited the Earth. They understand a common humanity, interdependence and our common humanity. Yes, we should not cooperate with Putin. But cosmonauts? Like astronauts, I respect them.

Space travelers depend on each other every moment for their very lives. Putin is a wimp with an excessively high opinion of himself. He’s never done the work, shown the brilliance, or embodied the ideal of skilled cooperation that space travelers exhibit every day.

I think about Tom Stafford and Aleksei Leonov. They shook hands in orbit in 1975 during the Apollo Soyuz mission. They remained friend for half a century. A few years back, Stafford was a pallbearer at Leonov’s funeral.

War monger “leaders” can be clueless and cruel. That’s kind of pettiness is rare Amon space travelers.