look on the bright side

At a cost of 5,000 a hammer, the tools may very well survive reentry!

If thats the case in a few thousand years, after we have nuked ourselves into oblivion, these things might land next to some monkey somewhere and start the whole process all over again giving us a second chance...

I watched the video of it and in no way was it an accident. In the start of the video, you can see the astronaut pushing the box away with her hand, into the air.

Then she waits a few seconds while it's floating away, and then tries to reach it, and her finger even hits the band holding the bag, which she could have used to pull it back to her.

This all seems very intentional to me. For what reason they would do this, I have no clue.

Originally posted by HunkaHunka
FF, we don't agree on much politically, but on this you are 100% correct.

I'm always 100% correct - even when you can't see it

Originally posted by Ian McLean
stuff happens, though.

We are humans and we make mistakes. Her mistake just cost a bunch of money. And it added to the space junk problem. But that's part of exploration ...

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by expatwhite
surely they can send up another tool kit with the next mission??

It's not that easy. Every ounce is accounted for. If they have to send up another bag, then something else will have to be given the boot off the mission. Perhaps an experiment or water or food. It's not like packing the family car for vacation. It's all very weighted and it all costs a ton to send up.

Cheers, never thought of the weight issue

However, surely one essential tool bag can take priority over another ant farm or letters to santa or whatever? Or cant they just add another gallon of fuel? And why would a grease gun explode, it cant be under any external pressure in a vacuum? or am i completely wrong on that

Wow... yeah, I know the complications with space flight, but another poster said it right when asking about the tethers.
The contents of the larger tool bag were completely free floating. I watched her open the bag, and everything was just lose up there... not a single tether.


Anywhoo, for those who are interested, the contents lost were:

2 grease guns, a white caddy (the bag), 2 scrapers, a debris container (garbage), and a large 'scratch' bag.


The two grease guns and the... well, scrapers... are unfortunate...
but hey, she may just be the first person in space to have literally thrown her garbage out.

oh noes.

will it hit them on the next time around.. just when they don't expect it splat right in the honker ?

-

What was REALLY in that toolbag that the female astronaut lost. Well! What do all females have in their bags? Lipsticks, tampons and mobile-cell phones. What else did I forget?...Ohh. Why is that female astronaut carrying all that stuff in space.

Originally posted by titorite
The space program. In this body we have the smartest of humanity. We give them loads of money to solve the mysteries of the cosmos. And these guys can not come up with a space tool bag with all the tools tethered to the bag with the bag tethered to the station...

Something is wrong with this story. You make an excellent point. A piece of rope would have gone a long way. It's called common sense. I have a hard time believing that not securing "tool bags" is somehow not SOP. Even commercial divers have to do that!

And why the big deal putting it in the media? I dropped my phone yesterday if anyone cares. But don't worry, I got it back!

Next we'll all see a bright light in the sky, and it will be "don't worry, it's not a UFO, it's that lady's toolbag burning up as it re-enters Earth's orbit"...

[edit on 20/11/08 by NuclearPaul]