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back to article ISS cosmonauts extract Soyuz explosive bolt

Cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Sergei Volkov yesterday ventured outside the International Space Station to remove an explosive bolt from the Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft amid suspicions that faulty pyro fittings may have been responsible for two ballistic re-entries into Earth's atmosphere. Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko during …

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  1. Eddie Edwards

    Something we can all relate to

    "Volkov and Kononenko (see pic) needed six hours and 18 minutes to tackle the suspect bolt "

    I had one like that once, under the sink.

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  2. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    It's a good thing they didn't let it fall out of orbit...

    ...it would have been a real bolt from the blue.

    Mine's the space suit.

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  3. Chris C

    blast-proof?

    What is a "blast-proof" case? Perhaps they meant something more like "blast-containing", but even that wouldn't be completely accurate since it obviously could only handle a blast up to a maximum energy output. My guess is it wasn't a perfect translation. Nothing is "blast-proof". Anything can be blasted/destroyed with sufficient energy.

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  4. RRRoamer

    @Christ

    I'm sure the nerds on the ground designed the case to contain the energy from one explosive bolt. It's not like they don't know exactly how much explosives are contained within one of the bolts.

    Plus, as an explosive bolt, it has enough power to instantly sever the bolt (with a decent safety margin), but you are not talking about something designed to "open" armored vehicles.

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  5. Frank

    @RRRoamer re.@Christ

    Do you know something about Chris that we don't know?

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  6. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Coat

    @Frank re.@RRRoamer re.@Christ

    Wow. I think you just blew his cover.

    Just gotta watch those ungodly bolts though.

    Hopefully this will work on several levels - however it may be late or fail to work at all.

    ... the one with the penny bangers stuffed in the pocket

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  7. RRRoamer

    Well, I DO know I can't spell...

    It was subconscious. I'm actually telepathic. (and occasionally telepathetic!)

    See how good I am????

    If you want to know about YOU, send me a check for $100 (scratch that! Make that 100 Euros!) and I'll get back to you!

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