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While this article contains many interesting points the premise is just silly: criticizing a (very good) 90 minute movie based on a 5 minute trailer. Perhaps so

by spikels 13y ago

While this article contains many interesting points the premise is just silly: criticizing a (very good) 90 minute movie based on a 5 minute trailer. Perhaps some of the "problems" we're explained away in the other 85 minutes? SPOILER ALERT Problem 1: debris - The debris were created after the space walk started by a chain of collisions began by a Russian anti-satellite weapon. So they could would not know to abort the spacewalk before it began. Problem 2: Clooney's jetpack - The movie explains that he is testing an experimental jetpack that has very long duration. He could apparently set a spacewalk duration record while fly around almost continuously. Maybe this is impossible but the move seem to take place in the future, there is a Chinese space station, and/or alternate reality, the Space Shuttle still flies. Problem 3: Clooney's Superman impersonation - As explained above this was a more advance jetpack than ever actually used by NASA. Problem 4: Clooney's rescue attempt - Again the advance jetpack means it would make sense for her to rescue her. The BIIIIIIG problem 5: From HST to ISS - Since it is an alternate and/or future world there is no reason orbits have to as they are today. It may even make sense to have the HST in a close orbit to IIS to make repairs such as this. And again the more advanced jetpack would make such a journey easier. Problem 6: Suit abuse - Here I think the article may have a good point seems like the suits would not be able to take all the damage.

kelnos 13y ago
Maybe this is impossible but the move seem to take place in the future, there is a Chinese space station Err... there is a Chinese space station: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiangong-1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiangong-1
- Zoepfli 13y ago
  The Chinese space station portrayed in the film is about the size of ISS.
- tanzam75 13y ago
  > Err... there is a Chinese space station: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiangong-1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiangong-1 The Chinese space station portrayed in the film is Tiangong-8. Not number 1. Thus, the movie takes place in the future. Actually, too far into the future. The Chinese are currently planning to launch their modular space station as Tiangong-3. They're not planning to go through 7 Salyuts first.
jrochkind1 13y ago
> The BIIIIIIG problem 5: From HST to ISS - Since it is an alternate and/or future world there is no reason orbits have to as they are today. Wait, are you suggesting they could/would _change_ the orbit of the HST or ISS? That seems... awfully unlikely. (It would be crazy expensive to change the orbit once the thing is up there) On the other hand, of course, there are no more shuttle flights in reality, so, yeah, it's some kind of 'alternate future' (more like 'alternate present'! which I guess is what fiction is, after all). In this version of the present/future, they still fly shuttles, and originally put the HST and/or ISS in completely different orbits than in our actual present. Um, okay, I guess. But really, let's just say there are several major physics inaccuracies neccesary to make the story, but it's still a movie that gets many many of the details of actual astronauts and space equipment right. I think it's funny that after dismissing major physics failures, you get stuck on suit abuse. Hey, in the alternate present of the movie, they obviously invented much stronger suits, right? :) If they've invented a jetpack that somehow has enough propellant for much more delta-v than seems possible, then they can clearly invent a spacesuit that is stronger than seems possible too! (Me what I'm still wondering about but havne't seen comments on, is if there's any plausible scenario where the space debris could be in an orbit where it would collide with them every 90 minutes... this seems unlikely to me even if they stayed in one place, let alone the every 90 minute period that somehow covers both the shuttle and the ISS and the chinese space station!)
- spikels 13y ago
  Since it is in a future/alternate reality Hubble and ISS might be in different orbits than today. I even makes sense for them to be nearby each other - easier maintenance of Hubble. Also might make sense for Chinese space station to be nearby - both for emergencies and cooperation on missions. It just seems like their space suits had to endure lots and lots of abuse. Not sure why they would be designed for this even in the future/alternate reality. Seemed believable but just barely. Not sure which "major physics failures" I dismissed - the long lasting jetpack? You can get much much greater energy densities using something other than the ultra safe compressed nitrogen in previous jetpacks. The ISS orbits every 93 minutes and the Hubble every 96-97 minutes[1][2]. If the debris cloud was geosynchronous, as most communications satelites are, it would make sense that they might pass thru every 90 minutes or so. Not sure if this makes sense given different orbit heights. Overall I am quite impressed how very realistic this movie was while still being very entertaining. [1] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station [2] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope

by spikels 13y ago

kelnos 13y ago

Maybe this is impossible but the move seem to take place in the future, there is a Chinese space station Err... there is a Chinese space station: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiangong-1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiangong-1

Zoepfli 13y ago
The Chinese space station portrayed in the film is about the size of ISS.
tanzam75 13y ago
> Err... there is a Chinese space station: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiangong-1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiangong-1 The Chinese space station portrayed in the film is Tiangong-8. Not number 1. Thus, the movie takes place in the future. Actually, too far into the future. The Chinese are currently planning to launch their modular space station as Tiangong-3. They're not planning to go through 7 Salyuts first.

jrochkind1 13y ago

> The BIIIIIIG problem 5: From HST to ISS - Since it is an alternate and/or future world there is no reason orbits have to as they are today. Wait, are you suggesting they could/would _change_ the orbit of the HST or ISS? That seems... awfully unlikely. (It would be crazy expensive to change the orbit once the thing is up there) On the other hand, of course, there are no more shuttle flights in reality, so, yeah, it's some kind of 'alternate future' (more like 'alternate present'! which I guess is what fiction is, after all). In this version of the present/future, they still fly shuttles, and originally put the HST and/or ISS in completely different orbits than in our actual present. Um, okay, I guess. But really, let's just say there are several major physics inaccuracies neccesary to make the story, but it's still a movie that gets many many of the details of actual astronauts and space equipment right. I think it's funny that after dismissing major physics failures, you get stuck on suit abuse. Hey, in the alternate present of the movie, they obviously invented much stronger suits, right? :) If they've invented a jetpack that somehow has enough propellant for much more delta-v than seems possible, then they can clearly invent a spacesuit that is stronger than seems possible too! (Me what I'm still wondering about but havne't seen comments on, is if there's any plausible scenario where the space debris could be in an orbit where it would collide with them every 90 minutes... this seems unlikely to me even if they stayed in one place, let alone the every 90 minute period that somehow covers both the shuttle and the ISS and the chinese space station!)

spikels 13y ago
Since it is in a future/alternate reality Hubble and ISS might be in different orbits than today. I even makes sense for them to be nearby each other - easier maintenance of Hubble. Also might make sense for Chinese space station to be nearby - both for emergencies and cooperation on missions. It just seems like their space suits had to endure lots and lots of abuse. Not sure why they would be designed for this even in the future/alternate reality. Seemed believable but just barely. Not sure which "major physics failures" I dismissed - the long lasting jetpack? You can get much much greater energy densities using something other than the ultra safe compressed nitrogen in previous jetpacks. The ISS orbits every 93 minutes and the Hubble every 96-97 minutes[1][2]. If the debris cloud was geosynchronous, as most communications satelites are, it would make sense that they might pass thru every 90 minutes or so. Not sure if this makes sense given different orbit heights. Overall I am quite impressed how very realistic this movie was while still being very entertaining. [1] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Space_Station [2] http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubble_Space_Telescope