Anything can happen during a launch or landing place of a crewed spacecraft , and just in eccentric the gang would end up strand in a remote sphere of the world , astronauts and cosmonaut undergo selection training and pack survival kits . The kits hold items such as food for thought ration , water , extra wearable , particular for reach a protection and other miscellaneous survival gear wheel .
Also , cosmonauts regularly used to contain pistol on their Soyuz spacecraft . This has long been known and discussed , but writer James Simpson recently write agreat piece on Mediumabout the chronicle and justification for why a gun in space is ostensibly a good idea .
“ Having a gun inside a fragile - walled spacecraft satiate with oxygen sound crazy , ” writes Simpson , “ but the Soviets had their reason . Much of Russia is bleak wild . A undivided mishap during descent could strand cosmonaut in the centre of nowhere . ”
The gun that was carried during the Soviet era was not just any gun . Long - metre space journalist Jim Oberg call it “ a deluxe all - in - one artillery with three barrels and a folding stock that doubles as a shovel and contains a swing - out matchet . ”
Oberg discussed the account of the “ ordnance in space ” in a2008 article , and also debated if space should be a gun - loose zone , wonder if it might someday cause a tragedy or else of prevent one .
The bear - killing shotgun , the TP-82 was used until 2007 , after the custom - made ammo was no longer manufactured , but the survival kit still include a “ Russian service sidearm — presumably the luxuriously - power MP-443 or a Makarov PM , ” Simpson wrote . “ The Russian Space Agency does n’t discuss the TP-82 or its successor . ”
And NASA does n’t wish to discuss the gun issue either , but purportedly past Soyuz space traveller — including US astronaut and citizens who paid their style as space tourer — were coach to use the gun .
However , according toanother article by Oberg publish in 2014,Russia now does n’t normally have guns as part of the survival kit . Oberg pronounce Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti quoted a Russian official as order , “ The pistol is still on the prescribed list of outfit depicted object , but before every deputation we meet to review that list and vote to remove it for this specific flight . ”
beneficial idea or no ?
TheOuter Space Treatybars countries from placing weapons of aggregate destruction in orbit of Earth , on the Moon or any other ethereal physical structure , or to otherwise “ station them in outer space . ” However , the Treaty does not proscribe the placement of established weapons in scope .
check out outSimpson ’s article on MediumorJim Oberg ’s 2008 clause , and his2014 article on IEEE Spectrum .
This berth byNancy Atkinsonoriginally appeared atUniverse Today . It has been republished by permit .
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