A total trust in technology...
Discussion
Taken 30 years ago.
And he could have been rescued if it all went wrong. The Shuttle could have nudged over to get him back.
The astronaut involved was Bruce McCandless.
Sadly, the MMU (Manned Manoeuvering Unit) was only used a couple of times. After the Challenger accident, a re-assessment of its usefullness v'safety led it to being dropped.
And he could have been rescued if it all went wrong. The Shuttle could have nudged over to get him back.
The astronaut involved was Bruce McCandless.
Sadly, the MMU (Manned Manoeuvering Unit) was only used a couple of times. After the Challenger accident, a re-assessment of its usefullness v'safety led it to being dropped.
Eric Mc said:
Taken 30 years ago.
And he could have been rescued if it all went wrong. The Shuttle could have nudged over to get him back.
The astronaut involved was Bruce McCandless.
Sadly, the MMU (Manned Manoeuvering Unit) was only used a couple of times. After the Challenger accident, a re-assessment of its usefullness v'safety led it to being dropped.
Would the shuttle have been able to catch him if one of his thrusters jammed open though? Although some sort of mechanical 'fail-safe' would surely have been fitted.And he could have been rescued if it all went wrong. The Shuttle could have nudged over to get him back.
The astronaut involved was Bruce McCandless.
Sadly, the MMU (Manned Manoeuvering Unit) was only used a couple of times. After the Challenger accident, a re-assessment of its usefullness v'safety led it to being dropped.
Halmyre said:
Eric Mc said:
Taken 30 years ago.
And he could have been rescued if it all went wrong. The Shuttle could have nudged over to get him back.
The astronaut involved was Bruce McCandless.
Sadly, the MMU (Manned Manoeuvering Unit) was only used a couple of times. After the Challenger accident, a re-assessment of its usefullness v'safety led it to being dropped.
Would the shuttle have been able to catch him if one of his thrusters jammed open though? Although some sort of mechanical 'fail-safe' would surely have been fitted.And he could have been rescued if it all went wrong. The Shuttle could have nudged over to get him back.
The astronaut involved was Bruce McCandless.
Sadly, the MMU (Manned Manoeuvering Unit) was only used a couple of times. After the Challenger accident, a re-assessment of its usefullness v'safety led it to being dropped.
The MMU has a long history.
It was the USAF who were really keen on it rather than NASA. The first MU was tried on Gemini X in 1966. Astronaut Gene Cernan got into so much difficulty just getting into it that the attempt to use it was abandoned.
A stripped down version was "flown" INSIDE the Skylab space station in 1973.
It was finally used as intended on a couple of flights in 1984/85. However, NASA were never comfortable with the device. They actually discovered that a much more sensible and safer way for astronauts to work outside of the confines of the Shuttle cargo bay was to stand with their feet locked into a platform attached to the Remote Manipulator Arm.
Eric Mc said:
Taken 30 years ago.
And he could have been rescued if it all went wrong. The Shuttle could have nudged over to get him back.
The astronaut involved was Bruce McCandless.
Sadly, the MMU (Manned Manoeuvering Unit) was only used a couple of times. After the Challenger accident, a re-assessment of its usefullness v'safety led it to being dropped.
Now I know what inspired this:And he could have been rescued if it all went wrong. The Shuttle could have nudged over to get him back.
The astronaut involved was Bruce McCandless.
Sadly, the MMU (Manned Manoeuvering Unit) was only used a couple of times. After the Challenger accident, a re-assessment of its usefullness v'safety led it to being dropped.
Gor blimey, have you never watched Gravity. There is nothing to worry about, after a sequence of quite ridiculously unlikely events the astronaut would have landed in a lake in the middle of nowhere. For those of you that have seen the movie, don't you just wish that when she climbed out of the lake, a great big grizzly bear had swiped her head off. s
t film.
t film.
Taita said:
Anyone got a high res version of the OP image? I might get a canvas of it 
It's the first photo here - I chose it as it shows how alone he is and totally reliant on technology to survive. Also, some other great photos...https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=space+walk+photo...
John_S4x4 said:
That's some cool images Eric Perhaps you can now mention the MOOSE system too ? You would of needed BIG balls to use that.... but would of really made the film Gravity, cut short 
The idea isn't dead. An "Escape Ball" system was proposed for the Space Shuttle programme and there is an Italian company working on a similar system for space station use. Perhaps you can now mention the MOOSE system too ? You would of needed BIG balls to use that.... but would of really made the film Gravity, cut short Those distant shots of the MMU show astronaut Bruse McCandless on the very first flight of the MMU in 1984. Did you know that McCandless was the CAPCOM during the Appollo 11 moonwalk? That's his voice you can hear when Armstrong and Aldrin are walking on the moon.
For example, when Armstrong activates the Lunar Module camera it's McCandless says "Roger, we're geting a picture on the TV" and later, "Neil, we can see you coming down the ladder now".
Because Apollos 18 to 20 were cancelled, McCandless never got to fly any Apollo missions and had to wait for the Shuttle programme to get into space.
XM5ER said:
Gor blimey, have you never watched Gravity. There is nothing to worry about, after a sequence of quite ridiculously unlikely events the astronaut would have landed in a lake in the middle of nowhere. For those of you that have seen the movie, don't you just wish that when she climbed out of the lake, a great big grizzly bear had swiped her head off. st film.
Jez, who pissed in your cornflakes?t film.Yes its unlikely but it is a work of fiction for the sake of entertainment which other than some minor issues stays surprisingly realistic (for a change)
I was expecting her to land in the sea- sods law says you would if you de-orbit at random in a craft designed to land on the ground only :-)
Gassing Station | Science! | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff