
torqued in Earth's gravity
D'Oh!
Seriously, what a cool job it must be where you can make this kind of mistake
The premier - and most exclusive - place to observe Earth has been successfully latched and bolted to the planet-side port of the International Space Station's new Tranquility node, NASA said on Monday. The Tranquility node was initially installed onto the ISS on Friday, with its cupola observation deck reattached from its …
If a bolt is under strain (i.e. suspending something) then the torque settings will be different to when it has no strain.
You will need more (or less) moment of force (torque) if the perpendicular force is not zero, torque convers the rotational force to perpendicular force (sort of, not really but it's close enough).
Surely when in zero gee, nothing's suspended from anything and thus the torque required to remove whatever it is should be lower?
Personally I think NASA are playing fast a loose with terminology and that these bolts were not "torqued" (i.e. tightened to a specified torque setting) but just "done up tight". The torque level associated with "tight" would certainly be affected by whether or not the bloke with the spanner can rely on gravity holding him down while he applies the oof.
...over the naming as a representation of the farcical failure of online democracy. Yes I was one of the people who voted for Colbert's naming of the node and it really chafes having all this tranquility rammed sideways up the back passage. Please join in and make your voices heard.
This article explains the earlier post adequately enough.-->
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/04/15/nasa_node_3_named_tranquility/
I was just commenting about Stephen Colbert's attempt on his comedy show and oft attributed as eminently watchable within these walls-------------
"El Reg has made it on to the <b>best</b> US satirical current affairs show: The Colbert Report. " - Andrew Orlowski
I know I'm resurrecting a dead(?) topic, but hey, it wasn't even in the related stories section which I thought was an omission!