They send astronauts into space, sometimes on difficult and dangerous missions, but the leaders of the world's key space agencies would gladly take their place, given the opportunity.
Asked if they would be willing to go on a spacewalk, the heads of NASA, the European Space Agency and the agencies from Russia and Japan all said they would gladly put their hands up.
"I would be more than happy to do it, but they would never let me," acting NASA administrator Robert Lightfoot said on Monday.
"It's one of the things I've thought about every time I've been part of one of those launches. Would I go myself is part of the risk discussion.
"But everyone who does a spacewalk tells you how amazing it is to see the earth while you're floating all by yourself.
"The views they talk about are just phenomenal. So, of course, I'd love to experience that and of course, I'd go if they'd let me."
European Space Agency director general Johann-Dietrich Woerner said he would even abandon the International Astronautical Congress underway in Adelaide to take part in a mission.
But he said there was also a more serious side to the question believing if any agency leader had to think about the answer, they were probably in the wrong job.
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