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I think it's self-evident that Pico feels responsible for Brian's death. If he hadn't lost the contract, Brian would be alive - plain and simple. Every dollar Pico spent was in trying to be extra careful and make sure the chutes would operate as they should, but in his mind, it was his fault because he spent too much and lost the contract - even if he felt he was right in spending what he did. Look at the last scene in the bar, for crying out loud.
Of course now, he's on pins and needles - the lives of the current astronauts are riding on whether he was right all along, and there's nothing he can do but wait and see if everything works as it's supposed to. Naturally he doesn't give a rat's ass about a bunch as ASCANs and their science fair project - that is, until he realizes Mutta has an unusual way of thinking. And the fact that Mutta has a brother whose life rides on Pico's being right (presumably Pico knows they're brothers already, but I suppose he might not) gives him another potential reason to be involved enough to turn his switch to "on".
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