General Discussion

Fumesucker

(45,851 posts) Sat Oct 12, 2013, 06:59 AM Oct 2013

Mark Kelly gives an astronaut’s view of ‘Gravity’

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/mark-kelly-gives-an-astronauts-view-of-gravity/2013/10/11/2b4e5e6c-3286-11e3-9c68-1cf643210300_story.html?hpid=z14

Last weekend, my wife, Gabby, and I went to see the movie “Gravity” at our neighborhood theater in Tucson. I’m a retired astronaut who has been to space four times, so I’m usually a bit skeptical of films that take place in space. For me, watching movies about space is like a congresswoman watching “House of Cards.” It’s entertaining, but it’s obviously not the real thing.

(. . .)

But the truth is, most of this doesn’t matter. Cuarón has given us a glimpse of the awe that is the universe beyond our atmosphere. And physics aside, he does it remarkably well.

My only hope is that we continue our exploration of space in real life, too. The majority of NASA employees have been furloughed as a result of the government shutdown. If Sandra Bullock’s Dr. Ryan were a real person, she’d still be waiting on the beach somewhere on planet Earth.

So, do me a favor. After you see “Gravity,” tell your member of Congress. Perhaps it will inspire them to put NASA employees back to work.

Read the rest of the piece at the link.

8 replies

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Highlight:

Mark Kelly gives an astronaut’s view of ‘Gravity’ (Original Post) Fumesucker Oct 2013 OP

KnR Hekate Oct 2013 #1

Gravity Brewinblue Oct 2013 #2

I can't recall the exact details, but I read in an article... uriel1972 Oct 2013 #4

I wonder if folks with their cell phones understand how much the space program they should thank. CTyankee Oct 2013 #5

Thanks MichaelKelley Oct 2013 #3

It’s entertaining, but it’s obviously not the real thing. Uh, really? Bluenorthwest Oct 2013 #6

He didn't do that to PROMOTE guns. He did it to promote laws to make it harder to get one. Spitfire of ATJ Oct 2013 #7

When I first heard about "Gravity", I thought about Half-Century Man Oct 2013 #8

Hekate

(90,867 posts)

1. KnR

Reply to Fumesucker (Original post)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 07:00 AM

Oct 2013

Brewinblue

(392 posts)

2. Gravity

Reply to Fumesucker (Original post)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 07:40 AM

Oct 2013

The movie is a stunning and incomparable piece of cinematic art.

It's terribly expensive, but manned space exploration is vital to the human quest for knowledge and understanding of our universe and existence.

uriel1972

(4,261 posts)

4. I can't recall the exact details, but I read in an article...

Reply to Brewinblue (Reply #2)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 08:03 AM

Oct 2013

The USDoD spent about as much on air-conditioning in the middle east bases as the US spent on NASA during the same time period.
Priorities... Priorities...

ps. I do not begrudge the service-people getting air-conditioning. I do not think they should have been there at all.
pps. Just wanted to show that space exploration is not as expensive as you might think.

CTyankee

(63,912 posts)

5. I wonder if folks with their cell phones understand how much the space program they should thank.

Reply to uriel1972 (Reply #4)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 08:13 AM

Oct 2013

Satellite technology has been incredibly valuable to us in our modern lives. NASA was key in its development. The pay-off has been huge...

MichaelKelley

(55 posts)

3. Thanks

Reply to Fumesucker (Original post)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 07:58 AM

Oct 2013

Thanks for the real view of the space, we know that in what they show is not real, but still we get tempted by this and love to watch them. Thanks for your support.

Bluenorthwest

(45,319 posts)

6. It’s entertaining, but it’s obviously not the real thing. Uh, really?

Reply to Fumesucker (Original post)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 08:48 AM

Oct 2013

The last person I want to hear speak about a film is the person who 'does that in real life'. The only thing I remember Kelly doing is promoting gun ownership in the media by among other things posing with a Glock and his wife who was shot by a Glock. Kelly should be happy life is not a movie, because in a movie a guy who sill loves the gun that shot his wife would be seen as a bad guy, not a good guy.
Not a big fan of Mark 'I love religion and guns' Kelly. Sorry.

Spitfire of ATJ

(32,723 posts)

7. He didn't do that to PROMOTE guns. He did it to promote laws to make it harder to get one.

Reply to Bluenorthwest (Reply #6)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 09:49 AM

Oct 2013

Half-Century Man

(5,279 posts)

8. When I first heard about "Gravity", I thought about

Reply to Fumesucker (Original post)

Sat Oct 12, 2013, 10:17 AM

Oct 2013

a manga (Japanese comic) series I read years ago, "Planetes" by Yukimura Makoto. I checked it out from my local library. I highly recommend it to everyone.
A story about humans in space. Orbital garbagemen.

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