Suggestions the Frank Powers was a coward, or failed in some way are very crass.
He was just the first U-2 pilot of many, to be shot down by the SA-2.
He had pressed on, on a very tricky flight indeed, when lesser men would have aborted.
He seems eventually to have been treated well, but I think the US would have really ignored him, had he died- in fact the whole flight would have been denied.
A brave man.