Don’t Drop your Tools in Space

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Credits:
Writer/Narrator: Brian McManus
Writer: Lorraine Boissoneault
Editor: Dylan Hennessy
Animator: Mike Ridolfi
Animator: Eli Prenten
Sound: Graham Haerther
Thumbnail: Simon Buckmaster
References
[1] www.washingtonpost.com/news/s...
[2] www.reuters.com/article/us-sp...
[3] qz.com/1318450/a-recent-histo...
[4] aerospace.org/article/brief-h...
[5] www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/st...
[6][arstechnica.com/science/2013/...
[7] www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GL...
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Thank you to AP Archive for access to their archival footage.
Music by Epidemic Sound: epidemicsound.com/creator
Thank you to my patreon supporters: Adam Flohr, Henning Basma, Hank Green, William Leu, Tristan Edwards, Ian Dundore, John & Becki Johnston. Nevin Spoljaric, Jason Clark, Thomas Barth, Johnny MacDonald, Stephen Foland, Alfred Holzheu, Abdulrahman Abdulaziz Binghaith, Brent Higgins, Dexter Appleberry, Alex Pavek, Marko Hirsch, Mikkel Johansen, Hibiyi Mori. Viktor Józsa, Ron Hochsprung

[@RealEngineering]

Seriously though, look up the price of those keysight tools. Well worth signing up to win one. www.keysight.com/us/en/events/keysight-world/live-from-the-lab-realengineering.html

[@AA-dn8dj]

There was a woman, Maria something, who genuinely sabotaged the ISS out of petty spite because NASA didn't have a custom designed comfortable toilet sent into space at her request. She genuinely wasted almost a trillion dollars just sabotaging the ISS out of spite.

[@robertjarman3703]

That part about that giant object being harder to push even in space is actually an excellent demonstration of the difference between mass and weight. Also, I suspect you meant kilograms not pounds

[@WigneyR]

You of al people should know that just because something is expensive doesn’t mean it’s worth it 😅

[@GolDRoger-fx2fp]

They should avoid that at any cost. We should implement no-debris space mission policy. That even a second stage rocket should set up to burn up in the atmosphere. Even how to deploy rovers.

[@NERDXspace]

can a 13 year old apply

[@WuffiePhoenix]

Debris Shield: *I've become the very thing I swore to destroy*

[@LF-Productions]

This is the best comment 😂

[@Christopher_1775]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mfaizsyahmi]

Well at least it doesn't have the high ground relative to the ISS.

[@pawarnikhil]

🤣

[@PrintPranav]

You die as a hero, or live long enough to become a villian

[@tommyboi0]

It's the extreme version of holding the light for your Dad.

[@Lunarslay]

Lmao

[@XDarkGreyX]

Wow.... yeah

[@johanhaukeness9492]

Aziz! LIGHT!

[@rebeccadubois8270]

​@@johanhaukeness9492 multipass

[@ilikenothingtoo]

They say you can't hear some one scream in space, but they haven't met my dad.

[@naota3k]

I'm quite proud to say that I've never dropped or lost any tools in low-Earth Orbit.

[@hlvr123]

You haven't dropped anything in low earth orbit YET

[@torment4723]

​​@@hlvr123 What you watch and what your name is clearly gives away that you're a nerd Stop lying to yourself😂

[@MuhammadAhmad-re9jf]

😂😂​@@hlvr123

[@godbyone]

The Astro actors never dropped one either

[@SCP--bm6td]

Yeah! I never lost a fight against bruce lee too.

[@omganotherun]

There's a real story of an Air Force guy in the USA working on a fully fueled cold war era nuclear missile silo. He dropped some heavy tool/part down the shaft. It wound up puncturing the liquid fuel tank of the missile, flooding the facility. Everyone evac'd, two guys were sent in to check it out, on the way out something somewhere sparked the fumes inside. Blew the whole silo. Warhead was thankfully designed to not go off without X trigger, so "only" a massive fuel explosion.

[@nukesrus2663]

I think the warhead actually got blasted out of the silo and landed decently far away.

[@thomasbell7033]

For the curious, this is the 1980 Damascus, Arkansas, missile explosion. Helluva story from the days of liquid-fueled ICBMs.

[@alexkarp3285]

Titan 2 missle silo explosion, he dropped a massive socket from the end of a ratchet. they were using the wrong tool for the job lol

[@Matthew-uv4fq]

@@thomasbell7033 I figured it was! You always hear stories about it here in Arkansas

[@PerfectSense77]

One guy died and 21 were injured if anyone was curious. The story nagged at me not knowing that detail. The entire facility was destroyed and never reopened.

[@leonardticsay8046]

If I ever drop a tool while working, I can always remind myself that astronauts have it way worse.

[@WuffiePhoenix]

Well if you're an astronaut the Hammer at least won't hit your toe xD

[@My_HandleIs_]

As the guys in 400 m tall towers/antennas, dropping something…

[@Max-js1mx]

​@@WuffiePhoenix now the hammer may hit your ship at 1000m/s teehee, ngl still rather that than hit my toe

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

I've found that when tools at work get 'borrowed', tying them to a string actually works. It's like tethering. This can also work if you're trying to put a bolt in an awkward location and keep dropping it under the car. Tie a string to it until you get it threaded. Sockets and wrenches, too (I hate crawling under a car to retrieve a bolt). You can also put a napkin over the hex head of the bolt, and jam it into the socket, so it's a tighter fit that won't keep dropping out.

[@marsdriver2501]

@@Max-js1mx not exactly, the hammer could "fell" from the station with a velocity of like 1-5 cm per second. If it was to come back, it would have some changes in velocity, but not too much

[@ardag1439]

"Uhh, Mission Control, I lost the space station. Moving away at about half a meter per second." "Copy tha- You lost what?" "Yeah..."

[@robertjarman3703]

They do have oxygen and they have thrusters on their suits, as does the ISS itself.

[@MarloSoBalJr]

"Is the space station moving away from YOU or are you floating away from IT?!" "Yesh" 😶‍🌫️

[@BlackSun404]

@@robertjarman3703 No I don't think they do. There's a special seat / backpack kind of vehicle they have, but the normal suits don't have that capability I'm pretty sure.

[@tvre0]

@@BlackSun404 All EVA suits have the jetpacks (MMU/Manned Maneuvering Unit). It is no longer used regularly, and is only in place for safety reasons. I think that's why you're confused, since they don't use it anymore (again unless of emergency)

[@BlackSun404]

@@tvre0 Oh damn, look at that! Not quite correct, tho, as the MMU was what I was thinking about, which I was right about, not used nowadays. But turns out it's become standard procedure (I think) to use the new, MMU-replacement system, called SAFER (Simplified Aid For ExtraVehicularActivity Rescue), and yeah I can see it attached to / around their life support backpacks in the videos! Apparently, it's got a 3m/s (or, 10 feet/s) ΔV rating. Cool!

[@katherinegilks3880]

As someone who hates wearing gloves and mitts (and who takes them off to do fine-motor tasks in the winter, even around -40), I can completely sympathize with how difficult holding on to something would be in space. Full respect to astronauts in their work.

[@fVNzO]

-40 will give you instant frostbite. Very few habitable places on earth reach this temperature.

[@bbbbbbb51]

​@@fVNzO areas of Canada hit -30 to -40 every year.

[@R03333]

​@@bbbbbbb51 uninhabitable eh

[@fVNzO]

@@bbbbbbb51 whats the population density there?

[@oGFunction]

​@@fVNzO as someone who works outside in - 40 every winter it definitely does not give you instant frost bite, you have a good few minutes but it's dependant on the person.

[@MatsBengtsson]

As a commercial diver, I know exactly what they are struggling with. I'm working in Sweden where water temperatures force me to wear thick mittens and a 3 mm rubber glove on top of that. Dropped things ither sinks to the bottom or floates to the surface. But we don't have the micro gravity making heavy parts light in the water. Unless you adjust their buoyancy which is not always possible. This is the closest I will ever get going to space 😅

[@BladeStar420]

Please watch out for Delta P and your work environment is pretty much identical to space if you ask me

[@MatsBengtsson]

​@High Roller It's my worst nightmare, getting stuck because of delta P. Just watched a video about it, explaining fatalities due to Delta P.

[@beardedchimp]

Dexterity must feel horrendous during space walks. At least for you, your hands are under pressure the mittens and gloves are pressed into the skin. For astronauts it is the opposite, the suit is pressurised against a vacuum, it would want to expand away from your fingers.

[@kineticdeath]

the story of the astronaut being swamped by spatula's when he returned to earth is awesome. I hope someone left a note "you dropped this".

[@redragon9588]

probably that's why he lost camera next time, hoped that he would find full room of cameras back on earth

[@mousermind]

*spatulas You don't make it plural with an apostrophe.

[@malapertfourohfour2112]

@@mousermind you dont, but we do

[@JorgetePanete]

spatulas*

[@DomyTheMad420]

That debris shield lol "you either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain"

[@ToriKo_]

Great video. Wow those space walks induce so much guttural fear in me, like floating away in Outer Wilds. And the clips of the ISS made me awe that something like that exists, and the collaboration it requires

[@Rybo-Senpai]

Realistically a dropped object poses little threat to the craft it was dropped from as the relative velocity would be small, however for other space craft it can pose a threat due to much higher relative velocities. Scott Manley did a video explaining this quite well some time ago using KSP to show the example

[@VoidplayLP]

Still dont want the stuff to hit solar panels or other sensitive things

[@Rybo-Senpai]

@@VoidplayLP yeah but the Hull won't be affected if a dropped object comes back around, sensitive items may get damaged like the solar panels

[@thestudentofficial5483]

I remember the experimental self propelling robots tested inside the ISS. I wonder if it's good enough to act as retrievers in case of things like this

[@DJFPaul]

The major difference is inside the ISS is an atmosphere which fans can be used for maneuvering. Or if you use compresed air, it'll be released back into the ISS and can be reused over and over. Outside of the ISS, not so much. Plus we're talking about a vastly different enviroment in terms of the robots and their design too. inside they need no shielding and have no worries about any thermal control and so on because it's in a safe enviroment from the ISS it self. Outside they very much would need to.

[@minerharry]

^ if you’re talking about the Astro bees, they use fans and sadly wouldn’t work outside of a pressurized vessel

[@RealCadde]

The risks are quite high even if the robot is expendable compared to a human. You see, the robot needs to get out there, grab the thing, and get back with something that increases it's overall mass in short enough time to where it doesn't have to expend so much delta-v that it would run out and itself become space debris. It's not that it's impossible to go out and grab the thing you lost, it's that once orbits differ they will keep on differing more and more over time, requiring more and more propellant to rescue. It makes sense to go out of your way to rescue a human that's floating away from the ISS, but a piece of space debris isn't worth the risk. The management strategy that makes most sense is to track, avoid and wait for orbital decay.

[@kindlin]

@@RealCadde All true, but things can be engineered. You know the mass of the object dropped, the approximate initial delta v and the time it's been since release. With those numbers, and maybe a follow up range check to verify the velocity and distance, you can know if you're little automatic retrieval drone (or whatnot) can do the job. You could have a few small ones, a multi-use medium one, and one big boy you send out that maybe needs to be refueled after use from earth stocks. EDIT: The _big boy_ could probably rescue humans, as its ultimate design objective.

[@davesvoboda2785]

We need some sort of small self propelled robot, perhaps cold gas thrusting, that can carry a gluey string to a small nearby object so it can be reeled back in. It's maddening that an object gets a tiny bit too far to grab, and it can't be retrieved at all.

[@MauricioBarragan]

Everyday at work I have to worry about not dropping things. I've had a few drops. But overall a solid track record. (I'm a Labor Nurse btw.)

[@helicopter_traffic]

HAHAH

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

If dropping things ever goes wrong, just call it an unforeseeable abortion. It's all in how you say it.

[@grzegorzsiwek8207]

Anesthesiologist here, I remember dropping guidwire from ECMO set. Luckily there were spares :D

[@skippityblippity8656]

@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 You are sick in the head if you think thats in any way funny

[@PinataOblongata]

"Got her on the first bounce!"

[@Fiercefighter2]

This was one of your more fascinating videos lately! I didn't expect it from the title but I was glued to the screen the whole time.

[@alexlabs4858]

Used to climb towers. The last thing you want to do from the top of a 500’ tower is drop a tool or materials. It’s hard if not impossible to get back and could also kill someone.

[@Chris-ok4zo]

I saw the movie Gravity, so my perception of something just floating away in space scares me more than the depths of the ocean. Because in the ocean, there's still things and creatures to either keep you occupied or end you. But in space, literally nothing. Monumentously terrifying.

[@Xpwnxage]

You could just tear apart some of your suit, won't take too long after that.

[@Chris-ok4zo]

​@@Xpwnxage I wasn't really thinking about that, more of the absolute horror of space itself. I love space, Sci-fi, aliens, whatever, but in reality it's scary, lonely, dark and dangerous. A fitting description for life in general, but still no less horrific.

[@cmdraftbrn]

being in space is like being in Antarctica. the environment alone in actively trying to kill you.

[@Chris-ok4zo]

@@cmdraftbrn Except there, it's just cold. In space, it's both.

[@WwZa7]

@@Xpwnxage Is it really possible to tear apart a space suit from the outside with just your hands through gloves?

[@pdc023]

For US astronauts, it started on June 3, 1965 when Ed White's spare space suit glove drifted up and out of the open Gemini 4 hatch during the very first American EVA.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

What a litterbug. He's out there in pristine space, and doesn't give a shit.

[@HO-bndk]

Yes, you can clearly see it in the film of the event, waving goodbye as it flutters away.

[@MorganFreeman69420]

@@HO-bndk beautiful 😢

[@LunarForte]

​@@HO-bndk I wonder where it is now

[@Bobo-ox7fj]

@@LunarForte almost certainly it burned up reentering decades ago

[@poorlymadeedits5911]

Show this to flat earthers

[@KeVsPIXEL]

Doesn't matter. They'll fool themselves by calling it all "CGI" anyway.

[@xyee9810]

now i know astronauts feel 1% of the frustration i feel when my engine eats my 10mm

[@ttrestle]

If I was that astronaut, I would be sooo embarrassed and upset.

[@leonardticsay8046]

Yeah, dude. A lot of people are watching too. I’m getting nervous just imagining it. 😅

[@AvyangShang]

That's why they intensive psychological test.

[@ttrestle]

@@AvyangShang yes, I know that. That’s why I said if it was me. 🤣

[@realsushrey]

@@AvyangShang They would still be embarrassed and upset. You can hear it in the voice lol.

[@117Industries]

I get upset when I lose stuff and I’m not an astronaut. But after years of getting my ass beaten for losing stuff, I’m literally not even 1% better than I was as a kid. So I just unequivocally *do not* have what it takes to be an astronaut. It’s a nice idea, but some of us just aren’t, and won’t ever be, competent enough. Is what it is.

[@Fantic156]

Such a mundane thing, losing a wire tie, but the potential for expensive consequences is vast! Great video, thanks. 😜

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

It's like the beginning of a disaster movie... a wire tie causes a satellite to malfunction and crash... the rest is obvious.

[@nothanks9503]

You gotta watch that clip of the debris shield floating away knowing in 24 hours that thing could very well smash a hole in the ISS dooming everyone costing trillions and setting humanity back maybe 100 years in space research

[@user-mc6dg6qe8l]

This is a real concern for workers at height (ironic that space workers are the highest lol) There's a sweat inducing fear of dropping your tool. Usually I put ribbons or strings to handhelds on my wrists. But a bigger object is especially dangerous because it could come slamming down on someone unexpectedly. Definitely injuring them or killing. I remember one day I was epoxying an incomplete stair well in a large building one day and the rollers grip imprinted itself into my hand I was holding it so tight.

[@seanziethen1032]

As someone who just started doing technical dives for wreck diving I still can’t imagine how hard it must be to operate in space with so many tools and gear with you. Sounds super exciting but must be extremely challenging and hard to stay 300% focused while having the greatest view of all time

[@savagelevel714]

That’s what they’re doin, underwater work.

[@savagelevel714]

Space is fake. Everything we see is up there, it’s just not what they’re telling us it is

[@blazingfiery4632]

Oopsy Daisy, unlocked the airlock by mistake lol

[@soonlytaing1708]

Red was an imposter

[@jtgd]

“Welp, there goes life support”

[@fahadbutt3601]

Oopsy daisy, you are yanked into space

[@fitmotheyap]

​@@soonlytaing1708 "Defeat"

[@henriquetolentino6181]

Hal-9000 be like

[@lain11644]

You know you're watching a real engineering channel when the giveaway is an oscilloscope 🤣

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

That's a good prize -- I want an oscilloscope but don't want to spend money on one.

[@themike97_58]

Fr helluva giveaway I could use one

[@fungalcoffee]

I'm remembering a image I saw of two old guys working on a boat, they had a umbrella hung upside down under where they were working to catch things. I can imagine something like that being something used for working, a big tarp over the work place so things don't go too far. Also could double as a shield form little debris.

[@chanm01]

"Peggy, I don't have a shield." "What?" "😬"

[@nicomarroquin1998]

Damn, this videos just keep getting better and better, loved the color map for the heat simulation

[@midweekmeditation]

I was working on an antenna on a boat in middle east once and something similar happened. Part of the basic maintenance was to replace hard rubber stops that assist the antenna in stopping its rotation. I had the new rubber stop in hand and between the fastener, screw driver, and 124 Fahrenheit heat it slipped from my hand, bounced off the mast, and plopped 60' down into the water. Needless to say, that is why you never throw away the past part if you can help it until the work is finished.

[@yutubl]

1. Catch-equipment for those lost tools/things like diver/cowboys: harpoon shooting a lasso-safety catch net wrapping around the lost+caught thing additional anchor hooks an net edges grap into the net keeping it closed, when pulling back to the astronaut. Before using it for catching it might be usefull as redundance life belt/strap connecting the astronaut to the space station. 2. Many tools have already a fixing hook/eyelet/ring or magnet for not loosing them when connected to working/space suite via chain, ribbon, strap or lanyard.

[@veramae4098]

An astronaut was working "outside" and had a tool box. She SET IT DOWN on a convenient ledge, then watched helplessly as it floated away. Kick self. The reflex of depending on gravity goes deep.

[@Yora21]

Astronauts who've been in space for a long time also sometimes forget that you need to put things down on something before you let go of them or they will fall down to the ground.

[@KonstiGrieche]

Very nice work. Could you make a video about the research that is performed inside the ISS? I think it would be very informative and could make people realise or make them better understand the importance of the ISS as a research facility.

[@veramae4098]

YES. NASA does a really bad job on this.

[@mirst5069]

Agree 1000%

[@Ragefps]

Next time I am on the spanners I will definitely have to try the double glove. Of course I still wouldn't have a bulky pressure suit restricting movement but it would be interesting too get a glimpse at how hard it is to be a mechanic at 400km high.

[@titan_o7]

What an absolutely phenomenal and one-of-a-kind job. Probably one of, if not the most, difficult and most training-intensive jobs on (and off) Earth. Immense respect to any and all astronauts of all nations. They represent the best of us all.

[@martigamez6732]

"Mission control, I lost Joe"

[@Kirbo-i]

typical thursday

[@mxk6104]

I usually skip over the sponsor ads but I really really want to try out this engineering platform you mentioned

[@Pasakoye]

Need little controllable space drones to push tools back manually with some form of gas to propel it. Wonder if something similar is being worked on if it is possible to do.

[@MrHichammohsen1]

Brilliant video! Thank you for the amazing work.

[@Urxiel]

Your videos are amazing, RLE. Keep it up!

[@salt-emoji]

I've never been to space, but seeing the "down" camera shot from above the boosters watching that shield "slowly" fall brings the same fear as the deep ocean

[@MauricioBarragan]

I coulda guessed that you’ve never been to space.

[@asmrnaturecat984]

I don't know you, but i can attest that we all have never been to space

[@hyperx72]

@@MauricioBarragan Hey did you know that I also haven't been to space?

[@fredmartinjr7055]

Don’t worry, nobody has been to space.

[@pokethebear6287]

​@@fredmartinjr7055😂 idiot

[@jumper0122]

There was a really cool solution to the glove-feedback problem a while back, but unfortunately it was sent on the Challenger and was never worked on again after its loss. It was called the Direct Link Prehensor and it was a mechanical system that allowed you to control a three fingered hand (complete completely movable with thumb) without exposing your actual hand to the elements. In the demonstration videos of it they showed people holding a pencil and writing with it, as well as other delicate tasks. I've always wanted to model it in Fusion from the patent so that I people could 3D print them. Unfortunately the patent is a little hard for me to make sense of

[@essay8634]

Fascinating!

[@vaipadalkar6719]

Thanks for letting me know as I'm planning to go space next week

[@a-aron2276]

An extendedable rope that can also be electrically stiffed so it can be pushed and becomes a slightly steerable pole once unspooled with a grabber, electromagnet or harpoon to retrieve lost items. Something like a 1000m for a start. It'd be lightweight and could be mounted on a arm to aim in the vicinity before unspooling.

[@go-away-5555]

A 1000m nylon rope with a thickness of 24mm (1in) is 377kg, and that would be before adding any sort of electronics

[@superslimanoniem4712]

​@@go-away-5555 would be way overkill for most stuff though... 1km is definitely a bit too long, but maybe a few hundred metres of cord attached to a magnet?

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

Good ideas, but it might be less expensive to just deploy a net before any spacewalking occurs. Or come up with a better tether system, or better gloves. I don't think it's a big problem to have two tether points on tools, so you can add a second tether before disconnecting the first one (so it's always tethered).

[@skeetsmcgrew3282]

These are all ideas that pose a hazard to the astronauts for no real reason. Forcing a satellite to do a one second burn to avoid an object seems like a pretty solid solution. And if the debris got way out of hand, an orbiting trash collector that aimed itself at an ocean after it was full or out of fuel seems quite feasible

[@a-aron2276]

Lads and ladies, ye aren't thinking big enough. You wouldn't use nylon anyway, it's too cold, you'd need something else. Being a danger to astronauts is just a problem to be worked through. (well it could be dangerous, but so is everything else.) 1000m rope, gives the iss and grownd control enough time to find out if it's worth grabbing and to come up with a safe plan of action and give the rope enough time to decelerate the object slower.

[@PrintPranav]

You die as a hero, or live long enough to become a villian - debri sheild

[@stepver2273]

thanks, ill make sure to keep that in mind when im going there

[@mazack00]

I appreciate the references and captions on the video!

[@crypticTV]

The tether that was lost - "Ironic. He could save others from death... but not himself." 😂😂

[@whoever6458]

I dropped one of my tools into the engine bay of my car so that it got lodged on top of the plate protecting the front bottom of the car and, since I didn't have one of those magnetic tool grabbers, I was never able to get that tool out of there.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

Tie it to some string next time, so it can't fall all the way down.

[@massimookissed1023]

Was it a 10mm socket ?

[@daveherbert6215]

Really enjoyed this video, especially the Kubrick/2001 inspired section . How far technology has progressed rather than artistic imagination.. Great video

[@Rebeljah]

I used to work on a maintenence squadron in the military. It was a while ordeal whenever someone lost a tool and I can only imagine the headache that that that causes when in space!

[@BoomBoomBrucey]

It's so sad that a single person, let alone millions of people on Earth could think this is faked.

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

Well, millions of people don't understand that the climate has been changing constantly for FOUR BILLION YEARS, and the idea of a static climate is a total hoax.

[@triniplayer6172]

Yea God forbid people think otherwise

[@BoomBoomBrucey]

@@triniplayer6172 literally ZERO reason to think otherwise.

[@nobodyishere]

​@@triniplayer6172 if they do think otherwise about THIS specific topic ( space walks... Moon landings etc ) then yes they're in need of enlightenment/ are maybe just dumb

[@darkknight097]

​@Newt Some people just want to feel extra special thinking they aren't "fooled" by big government like the masses and that they have access to special knowledge not many know.

[@moneymattersmastery55897]

They really should let lineman into space to assist with the spacewalks. The gloves they wear for working on energized primary lines are absolutely massive and the lineman have most definitely mastered the art of using these things, seem to have many similarities with these astronauts gloves.

[@massimookissed1023]

Astronaut gloves are also pressurized, (about ⅓ atmosphere) vs the vacuum of space. That adds to making them difficult to bend.

[@Zack_Taylor]

I love this sequel to the oil drillers in Armageddon

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

@@Zack_Taylor Yeah, they have to patch a hole in the ISS, so they send up a bunch of linemen (Travolta plays a good lineman).

[@R_W_Goodson]

@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 Bruce Willis

[@becausereasons8507]

The journeyman I was aprenticing under once told me of a time he'd dropped a live line. It got too close to the secondary line below, and made for an interesting day.

[@micahanderson8903]

I am doing a little exposure course for middle schoolers about careers and entrepreneurship in the private space race. We talked about space junk just last week! This will be a fun one to show them, particularly with the story about the first mistake causing a satellite to have to change orbits. We talked about AS AT devices, propellent explosions, and the collision in 200...7? 9?

[@Edfiki86]

Astronaut: oh no, I dropped my wire tie Co-worker: I dropped my crack pipe in front of the manager. This is the second time this week.

[@LiamHighducheck]

Debris shield falls off: *you became the very thing you swore to destroy*

[@Ptsxlouuivestouetjourd]

REEE I HATE YOU 🔥🔥🔥🔥🫥

[@FinancialShinanigan]

Sadly, no one can hear those astronauts scream in frustration

[@kamikeserpentail3778]

My stomach drops just picturing holding my phone over the edge of a ten story building. I couldn't imagine even being out there, much less having to worry about all these tethers you can't feel.

[@tach-uq5tw]

The vision of a piece of equipment just floating down towards earth gave me some of the biggest vertigo in my life

[@nitsu2947]

I'll just smile and say bruh. Then report it to mission control

[@AaronShenghao]

Glad you talked about the risk assessment. The Chinese Tiangong had to change orbit for because Starlink got too close to their box

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

Elon gave them the high fastball to check if they're awake.

[@KD--sj8eo]

@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 Elon is a moron.

[@pigbenis8366]

The ISS did also for the pieces of satellite Russia blew up in their anti satellite missile test.

[@dntthe88]

​@Pig Benis Sounds like what inspired the movie Gravity

[@christopherrapczynski204]

​@@pigbenis8366 Russia try not to be worthless challenge (impossible)

[@sachiperez]

Imagine dropping something and within a minute people all around the world are making fun of you.

[@nou5440]

they need some sort of mini rc spaceship with a grabber on it to catch dropped items

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

Or deploy a net before all spacewalks.

[@DoctorNemmo]

A scissor-extendable hand with a white glove

[@marcandycheridord5246]

Thanks for the advice.🙏🏾

[@DrGrim-et6db]

I wonder how astronauts feel the first time they go out of the space station, when i see does clips from astronauts working on the space station i feel so small and insignificant ,that large void of terrifying emptiness, and sublime nothing, so amazing how we evolved in the last 100 years.

[@TheFriendlyGamer289]

3:57 Interesting fact, my great-grandfather came up with the idea of using a pool for training during his time at NASA. He made a smaller version to prove that it could work, and it got accepted, I get excited when I see one of those training tanks, because it reminds me of him.

[@LoadedMeaning]

Thanks for the advice

[@pigpig252]

I know it probably fell from orbit years ago, but the idea that a lone spatula is in orbit around Earth somewhere is very amusing to me

[@jamesengland7461]

Legend has it, it landed on Australia, striking a dad on the head, who now brags about the scar while cooking on the barbie 😂

[@ehrenloudermilk1053]

Much respect to the women and men out there pushing the limits. Looks terrifying

[@TheBakedalaskajoe]

that is an amazing view of our planet. wow

[@MrConsto]

They are claiming to A) be still in the atmosphere B) traveling at 17,300mph C) circling the earth every 90 minutes D) earth below is standing still

[@IdiotWithaMultimeter]

I’ll remember this next time I’m going to space with my dewalt 20v drill

[@este_2013]

When the shield becomes the projectile instead:

[@kaleckton]

Imagine losing a tool at your job and you have to report it which gets reported to the entire planet. I couldn't do that, I would be like inside and be like hey mission, I think Tony forgot to give me a tool because I'm not seeing it.

[@QuestForTheS]

"Uhh nope I didn't bring the 17 mill out with me" "But you went to tighten the XYZ bolts and they're 17mm?" "Ohh y'know I just cranked 'em hand tight"

[@kaleckton]

@robksquest1748 that would be hilarious to hear a astronaut who is suppose to be absolutely professional at all times say. 😆 🤣

[@myboysd5772]

Man that beginning of the video gave me the same kind of feeling in my stomach as if i was somewhere really high. Not that kind of high though, the kind where you are scared to fall and die.

[@bryanshoemaker6120]

I got to see a grease gun fall from space. It was pretty cool looking. Even though it was burning up in the atmosphere it still looks like a grease fire

[@jepomer]

Sounds like when I'm on my sailboat. I have dropped several tools and a set of car keys while working on the sailboat in its slip. Safety straps are needed when going forward in less than calm weather. I was saddened loosing my keys but still able to located them using my GoPro camera but no way to snag them before Tamatoa carried off the keys.

[@tungsten2009]

Crabs?

[@jepomer]

@@tungsten2009 - Tamatoa is the name of the crab in the movie "Moana".

[@tungsten2009]

@@jepomer I know ,wasn't sure

[@tungsten2009]

@@jepomer What happened next? How did you drive your car?

[@jepomer]

@@tungsten2009 - Fortunately my grandchildren keep me informed of these pieces of critical information.

[@mr88cet]

Of course there is also the famous case, waaaay back on Gemini 4, where a thermal glove floated out after Ed White on the first US spacewalk.

[@sunnyjim1355]

That wasn't a 'dropped' item though, so technically doesn't qualify for this video. I know details are annoying, but they are important. In fact 'attention to detail' is widely considered a sign of intelligence. Good day.

[@LeLaidbackLauncher]

Remember, it costs tens of thousands of dollars to ship just a single kilogram of mass up to the ISS. That lost 8kg debris shield was a $100,000+ mistake

[@markoconnell804]

Develop a passive spacesuit attractor to reign in items that float away. Or place one on the side or the station and area in which you work. Electro magnet or static electricity and each item have the material on it which is attracted. Conversely have one over the area working on which catches things. Or debris net. Use AI lidar equipped robot who’s tasked with item retrieval with a tether to the station for backup retrieval.

[@Ikbeneengeit]

"Brief bouts of butterfingers." Brilliant!

[@Knewman7777]

All the dropped tools are still easier to retrieve than a 10mm socket dropped in an engine bay. 🤣

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

I now tape the 10s to a string and tie them off before I even start. On the other hand, they're kind of like the Take a Penny, Leave a Penny of sockets. I once dropped one on the ground at home, and found one on the ground in a parking lot later (different brand, but both 10s).

[@Knewman7777]

@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 🤣🤣 good idea.

[@phalanx3803]

i can imagine in the future when we get in to space on a larger scale orbital debris being a shit load of lost 10mm sockets floating around.

[@Imawesomedude20]

Good to know that a space shuttle can use wire ties as a solution the same way i use zip ties on my project car

[@RavenNervousRus]

Uuuh, Houston...we have an oopsie daisy

[@jumaro8823]

Great video but you made a small mistake in the video, at 9:55 you said the SSN (Space Surveillance Network) was operated by the air force but it is no longer operated by the air force for the last few years it has been operated by the space force.

[@SBImNotWritingMyNameHere]

Nice pfp

[@que6827]

2:43 can someone explain what he was doing with a spatula out there??

[@zacharyj6465]

Flipping burgers, what else would he be doing?

[@fezii9043]

Let him cook

[@deftones8717]

@@zacharyj6465 space burgers are the best!

[@MarloSoBalJr]

​@@zacharyj6465 I do like my burgers fresh off the sun's radiation 😎

[@Lappmogel]

Scraping the space bugs from the window

[@luthfihar3211]

the thing that everyone forgets is that the space station is moving very fast by itself that means anything that get disconnected from it will drift away at similar speed even though it looks like it's slowly floating down in the video basically that 8 Kg shielding is actually moving zipping in orbit like a fast moving car, which is terrifying for anything that's not traveling in the same direction

[@Coastal_Cruzer]

A fleck of paint in space is as dangerous as a speeding bullet on earth

[@phalanx3803]

fast moving car? bruh it be moving faster then an SR-71 blackbird.

[@Miklb-ek6vx]

This might be a stupid question but technically since your harnessed to the iss couldn't you go after the tools and then just pull your self back from the tether your connected to? Or since there's no gravity could you pull the iss off track since there's no gravity? Cause there's no way the tether isn't strong enough for you to pull yourself back.

[@mr88cet]

It would cool to have a small, nitrogen-thruster-based grabber drone!

[@FebiMaster]

I wonder why personal mobility units/jetpacks are not more common for spacewalks, it can be used to retrieve objects that floats away

[@drefrazier4266]

Im guessing theyd be too bulky or cumbersome to wear while doing the repair work

[@mvpchae]

They have them but they only have so much thrust and fuel so it’s good only for emergencies.

[@AE1OU]

Thanks. I'll remember that advice the next time I go up to space.

[@LouieAblett]

More like this video on space pls!

[@SRFriso94]

I'm pretty sure both ESA and NASA are working on missions to bring the larger chunks of space debris down, reducing the risk of them becoming smaller pieces of debris.

[@diestormlie]

So what I'm hearing is, blow up large space debris. No no, I definitely heard you right. We need to go up there with a TOW Missile Launcher *right now!*

[@heroyt2490]

This video consoled me because my team lost today

[@nlhn638]

I feel like placing a net over the area you are working could potentially risky stop some of this, no. Place it a fair distance away, and the debris shield could be caught. Now, a regular net may have problems since there would be slack, but if you used something metal, we have materials that when electricity is applied, it reforms [I feel like Real Engineering talked about this before].

[@hxhdfjifzirstc894]

Good idea about the net. I also posted the idea, but now I see yours. I think it would be a fairly inexpensive solution.

[@bixmcgoo5355]

pretty crazy how there's no consideration of the first man to do something, but the first woman to do something *after* a man already has somehow deserves recognition. that's so weird.

[@forgottenvy]

Never send Sandra Bullock to space

[@electricerger]

Man, this really got me thinking about space harpoons to recover things.

[@tomsko863]

This makes me want to rewatch "Planetes" which was about astronauts whose job is to gather space debris. Very good show.

[@phalanx3803]

IMO its supper underrated.

[@Kyee124]

I'm thinking, a way to reduce the chance for tools to fall out of the hand of astronaut is just having all tools to be tethered on either the spacesuit or the space station anchor, with a propelled magnet tethered tool to try and catch some smaller object that fell, with the magnet system even if it can't really pull back the object it *may* give enough magnetic pull to slow down the object even more to reduce it's speed, making more likely to get deorbit back to earth than having it orbit around the space and causes any big issue