Writing pet peeve, “What are we doing here?”

This is something I’ve seen several times in short stories or novels over the years. I recently saw this in a short story by a famous author, which prompted this rant.

Basically, what happens is a group of people set out on an expedition, either to another planet or back in time. It takes months or years of work to outfit the ship and/or fly to the other planet. Shortly after they arrive, one of the crew raises their hand and asks, “What are we doing here?” Now, I’m not talking about military...