On: What happens when an astronaut in orbit says he's not coming back?

[sebzim4500]

I wonder how much time the duct tape would have actually bought if he tried to open it anyway.

[gnfargbl → sebzim4500]

Possibly long enough for the person opening it to think twice about the consequences of the action they were about to take?

Same concept as putting high barriers on bridges, or selling paracetamol (acetaminophen) in smaller packs. These changes do nothing to stop someone who is committed to the act, but they provide a small energy barrier which can be enough to defeat the perturbations of a temporarily irrational mind.

[MBCook → gnfargbl]

Given the size of the space shuttle it may also be so there is enough time for someone else to notice what’s going on and intervene.

[spacebacon → gnfargbl]

Wise observation

[furyofantares → sebzim4500]

I was thinking of it as a psychological tool. If the guy is obsessing about it, keeps looking over at it and thinking about how you just turn a handle and everybody's dead, duct tape could help him stop ruminating even if it wouldn't at all be effective if someone is determined.

[s1artibartfast → furyofantares]

Provoking idea. It is interesting that many people jump to adversarial narratives, myself included.

As you say, it could be a compassionate aid to help a colleague deal with intrusive thoughts.

[sidewndr46 → sebzim4500]

I suspect the duct tape was there to act as an impediment and cause the person to make enough noise others would notice before anything could happen

[fluidcruft → sidewndr46]

My thought is it was a signal to alert everyone to keep an eye on anything strange happening there. That one commander seemed pretty nonplussed about it, but I bet he checked it out himself and he was aware something was off regarding the hatch.

[mariodiana → sebzim4500]

I wonder if he had considered using the duct tape on Wang.