# Space Shuttle Sneak

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-shuttle-sneak/728905>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 26, 2015, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-shuttle-sneak/728905 "2015-08-26T01:39:10Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-shuttle-sneak/728905/41 "2015-08-30T19:53:06Z")

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> [@Habeed](#):
>
> On the real spacecraft, the flame was invisible and didn’t trip a sensor directly, did it? (the hot gas escaping the faulty joint between the booster segments)

No, the film was obviously made before the Challenger disaster and the SRB problem plot-point in it was just a coincidence. But a similarity like this in the fictional film made it even \*\*\*more \*\*\*inappropriate to release it so soon after Challenger.

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**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-shuttle-sneak/728905/42 "2015-08-30T19:57:14Z")

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> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> ‘Jump over’.
> 
> You mean, using your arms and legs? 70 miles up, while the whole apparatus is travelling at thousands of MPH?

[Eh. . . uh. . . .](http://s294.photobucket.com/user/badger60/media/spock_zpsg2lncnu1.jpg.html#/user/badger60/media/spock_zpsg2lncnu1.jpg.html?&_suid=144096433815509711290578571066)

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**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-shuttle-sneak/728905/43 "2015-08-30T20:07:28Z")

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I mean, I agree that it would carry approximately the same chance of success as any other method of stowing away on the shuttle.

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**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\
**Post date:** [August 30, 2015, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/space-shuttle-sneak/728905/44 "2015-08-30T20:16:11Z")

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If you were wearing a pressure suit, and you waited til main engine cutoff, it doesn’t matter how fast the shuttle is moving. You could just hop on over.

Except, uh, a human sized object would create some serious aerodynamic drag. And be visible on the outside somewhere. And if you’re strapped onto the orange tank, doesn’t that thing get jettisoned pretty soon?

Just so many problems. On the other hand, with SpaceX, can’t Elon just order an extra rocket with a life support prototype and stow away? There aren’t going to be armies of people guarding the rocket probably, it’s launched from much smaller facilities, he can launch from lots of places, etc etc etc.

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