Comments on: Too good to check: Astronauts blasted at blast off

By: doingwhatican

doingwhatican — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 21:26:48 +0000

I’d need a drink before launching. Is a hangover worse at gravity or in weightlessness?

What have we here….a new victim group?

Drunk at Mission Control? Yeah, I’d be worried.

By: CliffHanger

CliffHanger — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 14:39:21 +0000

Oh, c’mon people. Nothing wrong with a little tip-o-the-bottle. The rocket nearly flies itself anyway and these astronauts could fly it in their sleep.

In fact, would anyone be surprised if they secretly stowed away some space-juice to sip during the journey?

The Russians do it. It’s part of their space rations, in fact.

By: bernzright777

bernzright777 — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 14:32:36 +0000

Absolut NASA…

JetBoy on July 26, 2007 at 7:32 PM

Dude, that is WAY funny!

By: crazy_legs

crazy_legs — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 13:37:28 +0000

The panel, also reported “heavy use of alcohol” by astronauts before launch, within the standard 12-hour “bottle to throttle” rule applied to NASA flight crew members.

Well that's the problem, isn't it? They were obviously drinking cans!

By: rockhauler

rockhauler — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:41:54 +0000

Dark-Star on July 26, 2007 at 9:23 PM

Who said it was the space craft commander, and the pilot?
There are 4 passengers, ya know? How many hours do those passengers sit while waiting for launch? Doing what, exactly?

When have they ever done a spacewalk minutes after launch?

Or are you trying to say that those crew members who
launched while intoxicated, stayed that way for ten days?

By: Astros on the Bowery « Full Metal Cynic

Astros on the Bowery « Full Metal Cynic — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:40:27 +0000

[...] Astros on the Bowery By now everyone has rad about the astronauts blasted at blastoff story…but didn’t the NASA guys get suspicious seeing the astros drinking out of brown paper bags? [...]

By: drjohn

drjohn — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 12:31:40 +0000

As long as it does not involve the pilot, it’s not that big a deal. I suspect that the definition of intoxication is somewhat different in that environment than in ours.

No mission has been compromised. The work level is highly demanding and it has been met.

Ease off.

By: SicSemperTyrannus

SicSemperTyrannus — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 11:40:26 +0000

So what happens if you pop a top in weightlessness?

By: T J Green

T J Green — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 09:26:55 +0000

This is old news. Everyone knows that the first international astronaut – West German physicist Ulf Merbold – shunned NASA’s traditional steak ‘n eggs Columbia launch breakfast in 1983 for braut und kraut and a trio of Warsteiners. Earning the STS-9 nickname “Ra-ulf” as the first to experience motion sickness in both a shuttle and Skylab, Merbold may have been lit as well on his second NASA liftoff in 1992. Germans consider beer to be food, and NASA will admit to accommodating the 2-lager-per-day ration traditionally supplied to those serving in the German military as a “good will” gesture. Exit question for a 10-day mission: Cans, bottles or pony keg?

By: Cop The Truth

Cop The Truth — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 04:41:54 +0000

What’s Up With NASA?…

First we had the whole kidnapping and murder thing. Then there was that murder/suicide in April. Now we find out that astronauts have flown missions while drunk.A panel reviewing astronaut health issues in the wake of the Lisa Nowak arrest…

By: repvoter

repvoter — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 03:57:15 +0000

If I had even a miniscule amount of control over my destiny I’d remain sober. However there is no steering wheel or brake pedal and once they set that firecracker off you’re just along for the ride. Oh bartender?

By: INC

INC — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:44:17 +0000

The original astronauts from the 60′s were Navy and Air Force pilots. An entirely different breed.

If you don’t have the type of personality that can handle that kind of risk (and it is not my kind of risk) you have no business wanting to go into space, no matter what kind of PhD you have after your name.

We’re talking about causing loss of life and loss of billions of dollars if someone cause a disaster if you’re DWI.

By: BacaDog

BacaDog — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:30:28 +0000

BadgerHawk on July 26, 2007 at 10:17 PM

I’m with you, Badger. Let’s sign up.

I simply cannot believe anyone would be allowed within 1,000 yards of a launch vehicle with any hint of inebriation. It just boggles the mind.

There are literally 10,000 things that can go wrong during launch, and every one of the possibilities requires a clear mind and fast reflexes and a steady hand.

The only way I will ever believe this is hearing it directly from a flight commander. There is no freaking way this is true.

By: BadgerHawk

BadgerHawk — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:17:31 +0000

Tony737 on July 26, 2007 at 7:07 PM

That’s unpressurized atmosphere. I don’t think it would matter what they were drinking if they went up to space unpressurized.

If NASA needs to do a little housekeeping I’ll sign up in an instant. I can’t believe no one else here thinks it would be totally freakin sweet to blast into space.

By: Dark-Star

Dark-Star — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:23:45 +0000

*faceplant on desk*

Why am I not surprised? The government-run schools are disasters, so why isn’t it such a schock that the people piloting the most god**** expensive plane on the planet (owned and run by the govt) can’t take off without getting plastered?

I sure wouldn’t want someone doing a spacewalk with beer in their blood! For crying out loud, space is dangerous enough without sabotaging your own reflexes!

Not to mention it puts billions of dollars of rare equipment at risk…

By: HerrMorgenholz

HerrMorgenholz — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:14:46 +0000

I hate to fly. Scares the jebus out of me. I need three stiff scotches to get on an airplane. The shuttle? Heroin please.

By: doriangrey

doriangrey — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:14:21 +0000

Let he who wouldn’t liquor up the night before strapping himself to a giant rocket-fueled powderkeg cast the first stone.

Damn right. Now I am not endorsing getting drunk before flying the shuttle, but there is no way in hell I am strapping 10 million sticks of dynamite to my ass without taking a couple stiff belts first. Anyone who can, well my hat is off to you with great respect, but not me bubba.

By: Mojave Mark

Mojave Mark — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:44:11 +0000

Has Lindsey Lohan signed up for astronaut training yet?

By: Mojave Mark

Mojave Mark — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:40:40 +0000

Pretty soon they’ll be taking some of Cheech and Chong’s “magic dust” just like Santa does to help him fly.

… a little for Santa, a little for the reindeer… a little MORE for Santa…

By: MirCat

MirCat — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:36:23 +0000

Well Ford had Arthur drink six pints before they went into space the first time. . .

- The Cat

By: Talon

Talon — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:27:52 +0000

Can’t say as I blame them. No way I’d walk onto that damn thing without sedation.

I just wish NASA would let them talk during the mission.

Wouldn’t it be cool to hear “99 bottles of beer on the shuttle”????

By: Dork B.

Dork B. — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:01:35 +0000

So what I heard that the Soviets developed powdered vodka for their cosmonauts.

By: OhEssYouCowboys

OhEssYouCowboys — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:52:08 +0000

I have no use for the sonsofbitches. I hope that they are fired, on the spot, so that they can fly their Piper Cubs, instead.

Selfish, immature and an embarrassment. And typical of the hedonistic, American of today.

By: JetBoy

JetBoy — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:32:17 +0000

Absolut NASA…

By: CyberCipher

CyberCipher — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 23:17:06 +0000

BTW, NASA has just GOT to standardize on a different color for flightsuits. The astronauts look like escaped convicts — even BEFORE they try to kidnap their love interest’s girlfriend (a la diaper lady).