What The Apollo 11 Crew Did For Life Insurance

jamesmith

Back in 1969 insurance companies weren't very optimistic about the odds of an astronaut making it back to earth after being launched in a rocket to the moon. The cost of life insurance for the Apollo 11 crew was astronomically high so they came up with a clever solution. A month before launch, the astronauts signed hundreds of autographs that were to be sold if they didn't make it back. From the article: "About a month before Apollo 11 was set to launch, the three astronauts entered quarantine. And, during free moments in the following weeks, each of the astronauts signed hundreds of covers. They gave them to a friend. And on important days — the day of the launch, the day the astronauts landed on the moon — their friend got them to the post office and got them postmarked, and then distributed them to the astronauts' families. It was life insurance in the form of autographs."


interesting replies:

if the odds are against you, bet against yourself...

its kind of really sad...A group of people embark on a journey which is indeed a giant leap for our entire species. And their kind can't even provide their familes with basic security.

fulfilling the Kennedy Dream: Ask not what your Life Insurance can do for you, Ask what you can do for your Life Insurance.

This contrasts sharply with the actions of some members of the Apollo 15 crew that actively attempted to profit from lunar memorabilia of their own creation.
(he's talking about this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_15_postage_stamp_incident)