Unveiling the Harrowing Realism of Astronaut's Tragic Demise in Apple TV+'s 'For All Mankind'

Summary

Astronaut Chris Hadfield confirms the accuracy of gunfire in For All Mankind on the moon, reasoning that the lack of air and oxygen makes bullets more accurate.

Hadfield's discussion about the realistic possibility of a bullet causing a fire in a space suit highlights the potential danger arising from the high oxygen environment in such suits.

In spite of a few discrepancies, For All Mankind demonstrates a commendable effort in addressing its themes, and Hadfield's criticisms contribute to enhancing the show's scientific precision.

Astronaut Chris Hadfield has validated the authenticity of a death depicted in the series For All Mankind. The show presents an alternate version of events where the Soviet Union accomplished a moon landing before the United States, prolonging the space race. With each season, the show delves deeper into the implications of an ongoing rivalry between global superpowers in their quest for space exploration.

In anticipation of the upcoming release of For All Mankind season 4, Hadfield provides insights to Vanity Fair, analyzing a scene where an American astronaut fatally shoots a Soviet astronaut on the moon.

He discussed the enhanced accuracy of gunfire on the moon compared to Earth due to the absence of air and oxygen. This allows bullets to travel in a straighter path and cover longer distances. Additionally, he mentioned that the portrayal of bullet impacts on space suits was accurate. Inside a spacesuit, which contains pure oxygen, everything is prone to burning. There have been instances of fires occurring inside spacewalking suits during tests at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, where even the aluminum material burned. Thankfully, no one was inside the suit during these incidents, as any potential sparks in a one hundred percent oxygen environment would be extremely dangerous.

How For All Mankind Holds Up To Scrutiny

While initially criticizing For All Mankind as "excruciating to watch," Hadfield praised the shooting scene. Prior to this, Hadfield had conducted research for his fiction thriller, The Apollo Murders, regarding how guns would function on the moon. His admiration stems not only from his perspective as an astronaut but also as a storyteller. In comparison to movies like Moonfall, For All Mankind demonstrates significant accuracy.

Even though Hadfield referred to some aspects of For All Mankind as "cartoonish" after watching only a few episodes, he acknowledges that the show occasionally prioritizes narrative over scientific realism. This is not the first instance where Hadfield has highlighted inconsistencies. Notably, he commended Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3 for depicting Star-Lord floating through space without protection, attributing it to a creative decision aimed at captivating audiences. Additionally, Hadfield found the concept of someone being born in space portrayed in The Expanse to be an intriguing scenario that could potentially happen in reality.

While For All Mankind may have some flaws, the series successfully explores a captivating premise and makes a noticeable effort to address various topics. Hadfield's critiques contribute to its appeal, especially when he highlights the areas that align with scientific accuracy.