Houston, we have a drinking problem

Houshton *hic* we have a problem.

Hasn't there been some kind of tradition to grill out and get plastered the day before each launch? What is the legal limit for SUI (Shuttling Under the Influence)?

Hey Sin,
Once your country manages to put some men on the Moon and send some probes to take pictures of all the planets, remaining in contact even after passing the heliopause, then you can open your gob. Until then, I'm holding up two fingers. Guess which ones.

The astronauts are supposed to have a minimum of 12 hours between the bottle and throttle. It's not like they were shitfaced, only that they had measurable alcohol in their systems.

woof.

Lets face it, I'd have to be seriously pissed to get me up in one of those things!

Isn't this all just rumours so far? I thought the so-called report that made these claims was really vague and open to interpretation.

And pfft, what's nationalities got to do with it? The space program is of interest to everyone, not just Americans. The Brits collaborate with American scientists on this venture.
Or did Armstrong say "That's one small step for an American, one giant leap for American-kind, dude."
?

I *love* how the media only pays attention to the space industry when there's something bad to say... If there's human drama involved, report it, otherwise, don't bother. Clearly the media panders to the lowest common denominator, and sure enough, they gobble it up.

Anyhow... supposedly there have been two incidents. There was one intoxicated astronaut in 118 launches of the shuttle (which typically flies with 7 crew members) and there was one intoxicated (US) astronaut in 100 launches of the Soyuz.

I guarantee that in the shuttle incident the astronaut was either a MS or PS which basically means they sit in the mid-deck of the shuttle and do fuck-all for 12 hours. Being buzzed doesn't make a bit of a difference - not that I condone it, it just doesn't pose any risk to anybody whatsoever. The commander wouldn't launch if he/she thought there was an issue. 1 in ~760 man-launches? I'm kinda surprised it's not higher.

Cosmonauts rarely launch without a drink or twelve. Seriously. The fact that they dragged one of their American colleagues in on the pre-flight festivities hardly surprises me. There's not all that much to do on ascent in a Soyuz anyway.


Anybody flying on the shuttle is quarantined in a beach house a few miles from the launch pad. The parties are supposed to be good.

Ah don't worry the Germans will have green and white spacecraft up there soon enough carrying out breath tests.

The one's you just pulled out of your arse? Do I win a prize?


They must have been blotto to have still been drunk 12 hours later. It's just wrong. Very, very wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. You can't go up into space drunk.

Stoned or trippin' on mescaline I could understand. But not drunk. However, if they were trippin' on mescaline even the radio messages would be fun:

*Beep* Mother duck to Little Duckling. Come in Little Duckling. *Beep*

OH! WOW! Man! Far out! *Beep*

Are you OK Little Duckling? *Beep*

YEAAAAAAAH! *Beep*


I rest my case Your Honor.

What makes it all the worse is that it is a scientific fact that Americans can't take alcohol like Europeans can. Shit! I was in a bar in Boston in January and a local was refused a drink because he was too drunk. I was just as drunk but got another beer because the barman said, "It's OK. You're European". You need to send Glaswegians into space, or even the Irish (obviously NOT all of them)... for obvious reasons.

So let's sort of wrap up what Sin wants to tell us in a one-liner:

Europeans are so superior to Americans.

Now, why do you need all the spaceship bullshit to say that? Just let off what's on your mind.


We won't forget to tell NASA to ask permission from you next time. Or maybe sign you up as an adviser on all things wrong or right.

Sweetheart. I'm just speaking my mind. If you don't like it, its your problem. Now if you don't mind I'd like to get back to taking the piss. Thank you.