The ethical dimension is lampshaded at a few points and it's pointed out that it's not quite that clearcut as 'we are wasting billions of dollars to riskily save one volunteer'; I felt he implies that the death might also kill or set back the space program, which makes the choice a bit different. I'm not sure he's entirely wrong: the public has really weird beliefs and attitudes (as this absurd 'Cecil the Lion' dustup has reminded us yet again) and it's entirely possible things might play out as depicted in Weir's novel. The last shuttle deaths did kill that program, after all.