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Astronauts Pull Off Risky Spacewalk

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the insist-on-redundant-backups- dept.

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."

3 of 220 comments (clear)

  1. I tip my hat to those brave men (or women) by MBC1977 · · Score: 5, Insightful

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

    Regards,

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

    --
    Regards,

    MBC1977,
  2. I don't by Space+cowboy · · Score: 4, Insightful

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    It's an old, outdated solution, but I'd definitely go for it if the alternative was a slow death by radiation or oxygen starvation - that's just me...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

    --
    Physicists get Hadrons!
  3. Re:So not to be morbid or anything... by Beryllium+Sphere(tm) · · Score: 4, Insightful

    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".