astronaut loses $100,000 tool bag during spacewalk

[mklotz]

Perhaps the Astronaut selection process needs to include a section on manual dexterity and the use and value of hand tools in what is essentially a survival situation. That dropped hammer could easily have damaged his suit and that would not have been a good ending. In previous clips of Astronauts in weightless conditions I get the impression that they can jump very high and bounce around all over the place, even turn backward somersaults without any effort, but this guy seemed to be gravity challenged with his jumps. I also notice that the dust settles very quickly, whereas I would expect to see clouds of it hanging around. Just seems odd to me.
p.s. I do believe that this was filmed on the Moon, I am not into the conspiracy theories.

Since it's damned difficult to turn off gravity, the astronauts on earth train in a huge swimming pool while wearing the suits they will wear when in space or on the moon. This allows them to experience conditions similar to, but not identical to, those found in their work site.

Remember too that they're wearing a personal HVAC system on their back as well as comm gear and an oxygen supply. Lunar gravity is only about one sixth of Earth's but all that baggage would make anyone a bit clumsy.

Psychology plays a part in your performance too. You look up in the sky, see your home planet and realize you're a quarter million miles from home and your only chance to get home is a glorified tin can built by and inspected by folks who remain safely in their beds regardless of what happens to you.

[Toolmaker51]

...Psychology plays a part in your performance too. You look up in the sky, see your home planet and realize you're a quarter million miles from home and your only chance to get home is a glorified tin can built by and inspected by folks who remain safely in their beds regardless of what happens to you.

In all the parts I've made, none more satisfying than Space Shuttle work. One assignment, latching double hooks, was made by supervisors awareness of my gunsmithing techniques. That I'm always prodding this isn't merely a hobby, is due to occasions like that. Find, practice, apply, create.
Never interacted with any of the engineers, do know some of those inspectors. They certainly had their own beds, but ever mindful of personal roles surrounding those persons within such beautiful, glorified tin cans.

[Frank S]

Fire fighters here on Earth experience much the same when it comes to having to use tools to bash their way into a burning building. or in trying to put out an oil well fire. Many layers of protective clothing and 30 to 50 pounds of gear strapped to their backs there is a percentage of grip lost with each successive layer added to a glove More is the reason fire fighting hand tools have special designed and shaped handles.
anyone can replicate the clumsiness sensation by swinging a hammer or gripping any hand tool bare handed then put on a pair of cotton jersey gloves and try again than add a pair of thin leather gloves over the cotton gloves by now you will notice a significant reduction in grip strength. then put on a pair of insulated welder's gloves over what you are already wearing. try swinging the hammer or twisting on a screwdriver or use a pair of pliers. Still not convinced try adding a pair of arctic mittens your grip strength will be almost zero by this time, but you have replicated a close equal to the number of layers of the gloves on a space suit or those of a Deep sea Navy Diver's glove Your's will be more bulky because theirs have the layers pressed together as they are made adding to the stiffness obviously the layers in the suit glove are much thinner but the analogy will be close enough.

[ranald]

I reckon Charlie might have arthritis or art wrongus. On his knee he looks like I feel but he has a lot more spring in his step-LOL.

thanks for posting. What will our next life bring?

cheers Ranald

[Jon]

The classic feather/hammer drop on the moon.

BTW, this (and footage like this) is some of the best anti-moon landing conspiracy evidence out there - things like footage of trajectories of moon dust particles visible in videos. At the time, it was actually more difficult to fake stuff like this than to just fly to the moon and film it.

[ranald]

The classic feather/hammer drop on the moon.

BTW, this (and footage like this) is some of the best anti-moon landing conspiracy evidence out there - things like footage of trajectories of moon dust particles visible in videos. At the time, it was actually more difficult to fake stuff like this than to just fly to the moon and film it.

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there are still some out there Jon. Then again the world is flat isn't it.

[MeJasonT]

Come on Jon,
its gotta be fake news
Next you will be telling us Donald Trump is president

[Toolmaker51]

The classic feather/hammer drop on the moon.

Galileo, gravity and solid objects, circa 1590. The original conspiracy theory?

1971, the Moon. The feather drop is fun, and earth shattering simultaneously. How many facets operated correctly for that to take place? A scientist [without any means to prove theory beyond mathematics, logic and supreme reasoning] never finished his quest, or withdrew conclusions.
So when Cdr. Scott commented "Galileo was right...", I can't help but think were we'd be now, if he and contemporaries had been heeded more carefully.

But you can still visit his home, museum, and middle finger. https://asd.gsfc.nasa.gov/blueshift/...-in-your-life/

[bruce.desertrat]

Of course NASA faked the moon landing. However, they hired Stanley Kubrick to do it and he insisted they film on location

[mklotz]

Galileo, gravity and solid objects, circa 1590. The original conspiracy theory?

1971, the Moon. The feather drop is fun, and earth shattering simultaneously. How many facets operated correctly for that to take place? A scientist [without any means to prove theory beyond mathematics, logic and supreme reasoning] never finished his quest, or withdrew conclusions.
So when Cdr. Scott commented "Galileo was right...", I can't help but think were we'd be now, if he and contemporaries had been heeded more carefully.

But you can still visit his home, museum, and middle finger. https://asd.gsfc.nasa.gov/blueshift/...-in-your-life/

"In the end, Galileo pushed so hard that he was called to the Inquisition where he was given a firm slap on the wrist for meddling in theology as a layman and was put under house arrest for the rest of his life in Florence’s countryside."

Seems to me that the church meddling in science is the real problem. (I note with some satisfaction that it has, in recent times, remained relatively silent on such subjects as the big bang, evolution and genetic structure.)

Considering his stubborn nature and distaste for faith-based descriptions of the universe, they couldn't have chosen a more perfect piece of his anatomy to preserve and display.