Dear NASA,

[nolawitch58]

Why in the hell isn't everything used during a space walk somehow tethered to the spacecraft? Hmmm? I mean, you know the shit will float away, and nobody will be able to retrieve it. Sure, a tethered tool will be somewhat more difficult to use, but at least it won't be impossible to use BECAUSE IT'S FLOATING AWAY FOREVER. The crew doesn't have the option to pop 'round to Home Depot to get a new wrench either. Seriously.

Best regards and warmest wishes,
Me, who shares the same birth year

Comments

[loosechanj.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing because they don't need to be, and doing so would be far more unproductive than just accepting the loss of a wrench. That stuff's expensive enough to begin with. Plus all those wires would be a tangle nightmare waiting to happen, if they've got more than one or two tools. And various things like that.

I'd agree.

[tomo2k.livejournal.com]

When working up a tallie or on a flown truss, the tools must be tethered so I can't drop them onto anybody below.

It's easy while I've only got one, but the moment I've got two or three attached to my belt it's really easy to get them tangled.

It's not a serious issue in my case because I'm not wearing heavy gloves, but untangling stuff in gloves is a pain.

Re: I'd agree.

[loosechanj.livejournal.com]

And I imagine untangling stuff in *pressurized* gloves is damn near impossible.

[voxwoman.livejournal.com]

I thought it *was* tethered and managed to untether itself...

I also don't think it's the first tool to go for its own spacewalk. I wonder if they are making a big news item because it's the first female in charge of an EVA.

[loosechanj.livejournal.com]

I also don't think it's the first tool to go for its own spacewalk

It's not. And it won't be the last. It's not even particularly noteworthy in my opinion.

[pecosdave.livejournal.com]

No, a few missions back it was a female who dropped a camera, nobody made a big deal about it.

[pecosdave.livejournal.com]

I've suggested this myself, tether everything to a tool box, tether the tool box to the station. Of course, to defeat the purpose the tethers themselves would need to be easily removable to get the tools in those hard to reach places.

[mcnutcase.livejournal.com]

That's fixable.

Allow the tethers to be removed - IF the tool has been tethered to a wristband. Allow the tool to be untethered from the wristband - IF the toolbox tether is back in place. Simple, really.

[pecosdave.livejournal.com]

You really don't want the tools tethered to a wrist band, something about a hammer on a string and a piece of glass keeping you alive....

[real-skeptic.livejournal.com]

How about an electromagnet or something like that?

That is, if a tool is floating out of reach, switch on an electromagnet that will draw it back. Then only the electromagnet needs to be tethered.

Of course, I haven't worked out how much electricity would be needed for this.

[real-skeptic.livejournal.com]

I rather thought a powerful vacuum cleaner would do the work. :-P



Hey, it's a vacuum cleaner, it's supposed to clean vacuum, right?

[lionsphil.livejournal.com]

Not forever...

[lionsphil.livejournal.com]

There's now some video footage, if you haven't yet seen it. The fool took it out of the bag and put it aside. In the nothingness. Yes.