If someone from NASA came up to you and said, "We need you for our next shuttle mission..."?

Question

"... and we're leaving tomorrow morning." Are you confident that you would be able to be useful during the mission?

By the way, I know NASA would never do this... that's not the point.

Answer 1

Personally I don't see what possible use I could be on board a space shuttle. However, presumably NASA would know whether they need me better than I myself do, because they've been working with astronauts for about 50 years and know a lot more about them than I do. That said, whether or not I would go would depend on the stakes. If the mission was to go deflect some giant asteroid like in the movie Armageddon, then I'd probably have to do it. If it was just a routine mission, then I don't think the danger of flying on such a risk vehicle as the space shuttle would be worthwhile. In any case, it would also really, really, really shake up my life regardless of what they were doing.

Answer 2

Sure, why not?

Answer 3

I'm confident that I would do whatever they tell me to get up there, but not that I am as qualified as most of their astronauts. Of course I would be useful, I'm better than any wrench and wrenches are pretty darn useful, but I doubt I am useful enough to spend my weight in gold to get me up there... and don't tell NASA that, they may decide to bring up the chimp instead of me tomorrow morning =)

Answer 4

I wouldn't do it because the lack of training could take a toll.

Answer 5

i will give you the same answer I gave before the Challenger blew up... NO WAY!

the shuttles were engineered to have a safety margin where one 'total catastrophy' in 100 missions was considered acceptable.

not if you want MY butt in that chair, its not!

Answer 6

No you'd just be in the way of their work the best thing you can do is watch the take off on t.v

Answer 7

I'm packing as you speak !   You have to say YES . To go into space and just see "our little space" of the universe .  And yes I know I would be useful . I'm not a "brain" like them but  I'll be their "gofer".

So ? When do we leave ?

Answer 8

Sign me up!  I'd find something useful, even if it's just "grunt work" to let the "real" astronauts get more "real" work done.

Answer 9

You could have asked this question the day after Challenger went up and my answer would have been the same...

"Your sitting in my seat...Move over !!!!!!!!!!"

I have been to KSC and on the shuttle launch simulator. The feeling was the second best in the world, at least for me !

The other part of the question....communication specialist as I was that in the Air Force and trained to repair the radio in Army National Guard.

Answer 10

i don't trust man-made rocketry... i don't trust any form of man made flight....

people tend to point out 'well you're more likely to die in a car accident then a place crash'

but so what? the car (generally) doesn't fall thousands of feet and slam into the earth or water.... and how often do people walk away from car wrecks vs. plane wrecks....

the few suvivors of plane wrecks definately aren't walking away.... most are lucky if they live a week longer.

Answer 11

Heck yeah.  I'd ask if I could bring all three of my digital cameras.  I'd run out and buy a whole stack of memory cards and spare batteries.  I'd do a space walk and help put the ISS together.  How hard could that be?

Answer 12

If NASA gave me the opportunity to go on the shuttle.....then..I would take it.

I don't care if they just needed me to clean the toilet!!!...I would go...just for that once in a lifetime chance.

Answer 13

No, I am not. The prospect of living inside of a sardine can for weeks or minths at a time does not interest me one bit.

Answer 14

I wouldn't feel comfortable driving anything - piloting anything, I should say - and I don't know that I'd want to go on a spacewalk. But to see the Earth hanging in the void in front of me, a shining jewel in the black desert, I would go, of course.

The only way NASA would take me would be as an observer, or a publicity stunt, or if I gave them $20 million.

I wonder what NASA would ask me to do up there?