We've seen many variants of the Space Shuttle in the movies and normally most of us would be enthrilled to see them since they are based on Real Science, especially more so when these shuttles were molded from the actual space craft from NASA. Now that the Space Shuttles have been decommissioned, the interest gains momentum as slowly but surely these shuttles will fall into the realm of nostalgia.
I'm sure some of you would have your favourite shuttles, be it the one seen from the movie "LifeForce" or others, but the topic today highlights on one that has a kit being prepared for mass sales. Its the Shuttle from the movie "Armageddon", the X-71 Space Shuttle. Abet there were many discrepancies on the shuttle launch procedures as well as it integrity, but its only a movie. Hence don't take these shuttles as practical, but relive them through the movies.
In the early opening scene, we were treated to a disaster in space when the Space Shuttle Columbia was destroyed by meteorites. (I wonder if they would still use the Shuttle Columbia's insignia in view of the real life tragedy that be-fell that shuttle). It was initially thought the shuttle was destroyed by terrorise until NASA (in the movie) discovered that a huge chunk of rock was headed for earth.
Hence a plan was hatched, to land on that asteroid, drill to its core centre, and plant a nuclear warhead to break apart the piece of rock so it can safely glide past earth. Don't ask me if this is actual science or whether if this could work in real life, I'm no rocket scientist. But I did enjoy the show. I thought Bruce Willis was great there.
In this movie, we got to see two shuttles launched simultaneously, the Freedom and Independence. I remember reading somewhere that some of the launch sequence were from actual shuttle launches, and that the X-71 were digitally put in to replace the shuttles. How did I know this? Try looking at the scene when the shuttles reached earth's atmosphere just before booster separation. Someone missed out the shuttle on the background and what was shown was an actual shuttle with its rocket boosters.
