You know when rocket bottom is reached.
You know astronomy reporting is in dire straits when exciting news is not new rovers or telescopes or space walks, but unfortunate personal circumstances (fathers not present at birth, diaper-wearing women stalking rivals, etc). That case was spectacular, but this is just an unfortunate scheduling conflict (what next, "oil rig worker misses first steps of baby daughter"?). Way to keep the (pointless, moneywasting, stoneage-thinking) GO TO MARS! dream alive, as promised by W.
So stop this rubbish, and abolish astronauts completely. Moar rovers! Moar satellites! Moar exploration! Moar cheap robots! Moar telescopes! Moar flybys of comets, satellites, and others!