Astronauts drunk on missions

http://tinyurl.com/376yvm

Apollo .13?

 

Seriously, guys, give me back the keys. I'm fine. Seriously. Come on, it's just a re-entry. It's not like I'm going to be on any major roads. A cab? Are you kidding? Do you know how long it's going to take a cab to get out here? Look, I don't care what your girlfriend says. I'm not drunk. Are you going to listen to her, or me? LISTEN, GIVE ME THE KEYS, OR BY GOD ... sorry. No, I'm not yelling. I'm not upset. If you'll just give me the keys, we can get back to Earth and go to sleep.

 

Hilarious!

My question is this: Would getting drunk in space only take a beer or two because of the altitude?

 

so...that explains where all their courage came from--no way i'd ever get on one of those without about 8 beers

 

During the Mercury-Gemini days, astronauts were known to drop in at some of the friendly Cocoa Beach dives the night before a launch, and leave a half-dozen or so beers later.

During Apollo, I think things tightened up a bit (they didn't want astronauts catching a cold or something in the last day or two before launch), so they were kept in isolation a little longer. Thus the last-minute switcheroo on Apollo 13.

During the Shuttle program, from what I've read, things have loosened up a bit. Mission specialists and payload specialists are supposed to be somewhat interchangeable -- I think they have indeed subbed out a crew member a day or two before launch due to sudden illness once or twice in the 115-some shuttle flights.

My guess is the Nowak deal is going to result in a lot of things being drastically tightened up, such as mental/emotional screening, and probably now, alcohol and substance consumption. My guess from now on is if you're scheduled on a shuttle flight, you'll be peeing into a jar for about the last 10 days before launch, and if anything shows up besides caffiene from coffee or a can of Mountain Dew, you're staying home.

 

Is this that big of a deal, really? I mean, it's not like they could injure some other shuttle. ;D

 

They just don't want them pushing the "DO NOT PUSH THIS BUTTON EVER!!!!" button.