LogFAQs > #979256041

darkknight109 posted...

This isn't really an accurate comparison.

In-situ repairs of spacecraft are quite viable and we know this because we do it constantly with the International Space Station. Unlike with a car, where you have to deal with gravity, wind, and the fact that you'd presumably want someone driving the car for you, with a spacecraft - even one moving to Mars at considerable speed - you can quite happily go strolling out the airlock onto the exterior of the ship (as long as you're tethered to something), because you're moving at the same speed the ship is and there's no air resistance to slow you down. Fixing the ship mid-flight isn't generally going to be any more difficult than fixing it (or building it) in orbit around Earth, so long as you have supplies on hand.

Indeed. Remember that once you actually get out into space, flight basically consists of "point ship in right direction, fire thrusters to reach desired speed, then coast until you reach your destination." The occasional course correction will be needed because on that scale being off by a millionth of a degree can cause you to miss the planet entirely, and the trip's not entirely without resistance that will slow the ship down, but flying a spaceship is extremely hands-off and for the most part it doesn't matter if you're inside the ship or outside. You can't fix a car in motion because it needs constant input to remain stable and keep moving and because the air resistance would make it extremely difficult to hold on (not to mention popping the hood mid-drive would probably just result in it being ripped off because we don't design cars for that to be an option). None of those issues apply to space flight, which is in no small part why any game that tries to realistically simulate space flight is insufferably boring.

The bigger problem with in situ repairs is that crew members need to know enough about how the ship works and have the mechanical skills to repair it. Real astronauts get that as part of their training and certification, but I'm not sure Mr. "Inheriting an emerald mine doesn't count as a trust fund" would be willing to put in that kind of effort. But then I guess it's not like he has anything else he needs to do with his time, so maybe he could.