Astronauts Pull Off Risky Spacewalk

dylanduck writes "A pair of NASA astronauts overcame an issue with a loose jet pack to make crucial repairs to the International Space Station, according to a story on New Scientist Space. No jet pack means not getting home if you inadvertently push yourself away from the space station and into space. That's a long goodbye that doesn't bear thinking about."

Comments

I tip my hat to those brave men (or women)

[MBC1977]

My compliments... I cannot imagine how tough that must of been.

Regards,

MBC1977,
(US Marine, College Student, and Good Guy!)

I don't

[Space cowboy]

I'd point out the benefits of tying a piece of rope to the outside of the airlock, and tying the other end around the astronaut's waist.

It's an old, outdated solution, but I'd definitely go for it if the alternative was a slow death by radiation or oxygen starvation - that's just me...

Simon

Re:So not to be morbid or anything...

[Beryllium Sphere(tm)]

You're a trained test pilot in that case, so you keep trying things as long as you're conscious, like throwing tools away from you to push you back (and then somehow canceling the spin -- maybe tossing them like a softball is best).

Supposedly there are cockpit tapes from test flights along the lines of "Option A completed, result negative, option B completed, results negative, option C WHAM".

Re:Suicide pill?

[SonicSpike]

Yes I realize that there would probably never be a situation for it to be used "fight to the death" and all. But, if one had to kill themselves in space, personally a pill that slips one into a deep sleep and then death in my opinion would be a lot more respectable in my opinion, more peaceful, and a hell of a lot less violent and painful than simply exposing oneself to a vacuum.

Having my blood boil, my skin shrink, and my lungs explode doesn't sound like a good way to go.