Probably nobody asked them before. They’re just giving their honest opinion, and they don’t deserve this implied insult.
Toxic commentary, about a serious issue which demands calmer criticism
And, the only real reporting done was from The Atlantic, not this clickbait mill.
> “Of course they don’t feel comfortable putting them in the vehicle,” a retired NASA astronaut told me, speaking on condition of anonymity so that he could be candid. “Otherwise they would have put them in it already.”
"Admit" also implies actual knowledge. The Atlantic make no such claim for their retired astronaut - who could well have been a biosciences mission specialist, and have retired decades ago.
Here's The Atlantic's one use of "admit", very clearly speculative:
> Maybe officials worry that admitting outright that a return journey is currently too risky would fuel more sensationalist coverage. Or perhaps NASA leaders want to protect Boeing.
I suspect if you are inferring that it might say more about your personality than it does the "astronauts". Because there's simply not enough information in the article to know anything about their personality. And as you readily admit it's likely no one ever asked them before so they never lied before or gave any dishonest information.