Comment by skunkworker | Hacker News Reader

Comment by skunkworker | Hacker News Reader

It looks like SpaceX will gain the pride of having the 8 by 12 inch American flag left by the last shuttle mission.

"The shuttle replica accompanied an expected presentation of a U.S. flag that was flown on the first and last shuttle missions. The 8- by 12-inch flag, which was revealed by President Barack Obama during his call to the astronauts last week, will stay on board the station until the shuttle's successor arrives.

"This flag represents not just a symbol of our national pride and honor, but in this particular case, it represents a goal," Ferguson said. "This flag will be flown prominently here by the forward hatch of Node 2, to be returned to Earth once again by an astronaut that launches on a U.S. vehicle, hopefully in just a few years." [9 Weird Things That Flew On NASA's Shuttles]

Both the model and flag were hung near and on the hatch where 35 space shuttle crews have entered the station and where the STS-135 astronauts exited for a final time soon after presenting the mementos."

https://www.space.com/12335-shuttle-astronauts-flag-model-sp...

Doug Hurley was the pilot on the shuttle crew that left the flag on the ISS, and will be the commander of the crew that brings it back to Earth.

There are several very large assumptions implicit in that sentence.

Hurley is going to be the "Spacecraft Commander" as mentioned in the article. The parent comment also indicates that they will be bringing the flag/memorial/token back. I'm not sure what "large implicit assumptions" you are referring too.

- mission not being scrubbed for a variety of possible reasons

- mission commander not being changed

- rocket not blowing up on the pad

- rocket reaching correct orbit

- mission not being completed, for instance docking issues

- everything that could possibly go wrong on the return flight

Really, the ease with which everybody seems to assume that this will go off without a hitch is impressive, this is not exactly walking to the corner store to pick up a small parcel.

Why do you assume people assumed that? I mean, these are things that apply to every human spaceflight on any rocket in any country.

Imagine if anytime anyone spoke about spaceflight, they saw fit to include a giant disclaimer of everything that could go wrong. We'd all just end up sounding like drug commercials.

I feel like you missed the biggest risk these days: failure of preflight quarantine.

You must be real fun at parties.....

Friend: I'm going to grab more drinks from the store

You: There are several very large assumptions implicit in that sentence

Friend: ?

You: Your car can break down, you can get in an accident on the way there, the store can be robbed and you can get shot, you may get a call about your parents dying on the way, a meteor may strike and kills us all...

I would love to party at jacquesm, we could talk about all the ways that civilization is a rube goldberg machine.

> walking to the corner store to pick up a small parcel

* You could sprain your ankle and not make it

* The parcel might have been stolen by a robber

* The corner store might be on fire

* Feral dogs might chase you to the other side of town

You forgot falling space debris

One (unmanned) mission has already been accomplished without a hitch.

He means that flight or its currently designated commander may not make it to the ISS for various reasons.

I don't think those are "large" assumptions, they're pretty standard things that can go wrong with every flight. Not that useful to have to enumerate them every time anyone talks about spaceflight.

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