Posts: 47741 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
posted 01-21-2022 05:18 PM
GQ video release
Dr. Cathleen Lewis, curator of International Space Programs and Spacesuits at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, breaks down space suits from movies including "Star Trek," "Gravity," "Alien," "Prometheus," "The Martian," "Moonraker," "Destination Moon," "Stargate: Atlantis," "Armageddon," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Outland," "Moon" and "Sunshine."
David C Member
Posts: 1317 From: Lausanne Registered: Apr 2012
posted 01-22-2022 09:35 AM
I found that entertaining and interesting.
I’d like to add a couple of things though. She was a bit harsh on “The Martian”. The world’s first EVA suit, used by Leonov had a dark visor on the inside that he could move up and down.
The other thing isn’t a specific criticism of Lewis. Loads of people get this wrong, possibly most. No lesser person than Eileen Collins got it wrong in her book, and she obviously knows.
HUD is the acronym for Head Up Display. The design objective was to allow a pilot to keep his (as it was back then) head up and looking outside, rather than having to be looking inside at instruments, thus seeing real threats and avoiding hitting the ground etc. Most people assume from casual non-aeropspace speech that it means Heads-up Display with an “S”, implying warning you of something that’s about to happen, or what’s developing. Is that important? Yes, because it flips the entire concept upside down.
Don’t check this by asking a pilot, 25% of them will get it wrong. Look in a flight manual glossary or an engineering book. If you have a copy of the Shuttle Crew Operations Manual, look in there.
perineau Member
Posts: 316 From: FRANCE Registered: Jul 2007
posted 01-22-2022 12:45 PM
Fun and interesting to watch, but she mentioned that Neil Armstrong "got his astronaut wings before joining NASA" - is that correct?
randyc Member
Posts: 829 From: Denver, CO USA Registered: May 2003
posted 01-22-2022 02:26 PM
That's an interesting explanation David. I've also heard that the correct name for HUD uses Head and not Heads, but as it was explained to me the reason why the Head is singular is that the pilot using the HUD has only one head. Even for aircraft with multiple pilots using the HUD display at the same time each pilot still has only one head!
David C Member
Posts: 1317 From: Lausanne Registered: Apr 2012
posted 01-22-2022 02:54 PM
No, that explanation it wrong as well. “Luckily” I’m old enough to be pre-HUD, so I remember the development history, and the acronym history.
It’s a grammatical explanation, but the actual reason has nothing to do with linguistics.
quote:Originally posted by perineau: ...is that correct?
No, he flew the X-15, but not above 50 miles - the USAF qualification limit. Anyhow, back then NASA didn’t award astronaut wings to X-15 pilots, only the USAF did.
posted 01-21-2022 05:18 PM
advertisement