https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=EricP 2026-04-17T08:49:49Z User contributions MediaWiki 1.30.0 https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1375:_Astronaut_Vandalism&diff=68578 2014-05-30T22:03:57Z

<p>EricP: removed my Trivia contribution as it was already in the discussion</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1375<br /> | date = May 30, 2014<br /> | title = Astronaut Vandalism<br /> | image = astronaut_vandalism.png<br /> | titletext = That night, retired USAF pilots covertly replaced the '62' with '50'.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> Signs like this normally show the distance to places on earth's surface. This sign also has an arrow pointing away from earth and towards &quot;space&quot;, with a distance of 62 miles (100&amp;nbsp;km).<br /> <br /> We think of Space as being so very far away. This comic puts into perspective that it's really a lot closer to get to Space than to many destinations we're used to getting to by car or airplane. We think of 62 miles as being an easy trip on the ground, but that same 62 miles is incredibly hard when going vertically, against the force of gravity. Distance-wise, however, it's the same.<br /> <br /> The title text states that the distance to &quot;space&quot; was changed later from 62 miles (100&amp;nbsp;km) to 50 miles (80&amp;nbsp;km) by retired Air Force pilots. This indicates that the pilots wanted to reduce the altitude considered to be &quot;space&quot;, so that their own high altitude flights could be considered space flights.<br /> <br /> The {{W|U.S. Air Force|USAF}} will award {{W|astronaut wings}} to rated astronauts who fly higher than 50 miles, while the {{W|World Air Sports Federation}} (FAI) in the mid 1950s designated the 100-kilometer {{W|Karman Line}} (62 miles) as the official boundary between the {{W|Earth's atmosphere}} and {{W|outer space}}. So for some pilots in the 1960s it was enough to fly above 50 miles to earn the wings and eight pilots on the {{w|X-15|X-15 Program}} earned them like this. This explains why it was retired pilots who changed the sign - so their wings would still be valid.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> :[A signpost with three arrows.]<br /> :[Arrow pointing up:] <br /> :Space 62<br /> :[Arrow pointing right:]<br /> :Jackson 115<br /> :[Arrow pointing left:]<br /> :Memphis 98<br /> <br /> ==Trivia==<br /> *See [http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2004/09/where_does_space_begin.html Slate: Where does space begin?] for more background.<br /> *This comic was published on the same day that Version 2 of the {{w|Dragon (spacecraft)|Dragon spaceship}} was unveiled.<br /> *The Memphis mileage may be a reference to {{W|Windows 98}}, which was internally codenamed Memphis whilst in development at {{W|Microsoft}}.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

EricP https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=1375:_Astronaut_Vandalism&diff=68577 2014-05-30T22:02:28Z

<p>EricP: /* Trivia */, geocache</p> <hr /> <div>{{comic<br /> | number = 1375<br /> | date = May 30, 2014<br /> | title = Astronaut Vandalism<br /> | image = astronaut_vandalism.png<br /> | titletext = That night, retired USAF pilots covertly replaced the '62' with '50'.<br /> }}<br /> <br /> ==Explanation==<br /> Signs like this normally show the distance to places on earth's surface. This sign also has an arrow pointing away from earth and towards &quot;space&quot;, with a distance of 62 miles (100&amp;nbsp;km).<br /> <br /> We think of Space as being so very far away. This comic puts into perspective that it's really a lot closer to get to Space than to many destinations we're used to getting to by car or airplane. We think of 62 miles as being an easy trip on the ground, but that same 62 miles is incredibly hard when going vertically, against the force of gravity. Distance-wise, however, it's the same.<br /> <br /> The title text states that the distance to &quot;space&quot; was changed later from 62 miles (100&amp;nbsp;km) to 50 miles (80&amp;nbsp;km) by retired Air Force pilots. This indicates that the pilots wanted to reduce the altitude considered to be &quot;space&quot;, so that their own high altitude flights could be considered space flights.<br /> <br /> The {{W|U.S. Air Force|USAF}} will award {{W|astronaut wings}} to rated astronauts who fly higher than 50 miles, while the {{W|World Air Sports Federation}} (FAI) in the mid 1950s designated the 100-kilometer {{W|Karman Line}} (62 miles) as the official boundary between the {{W|Earth's atmosphere}} and {{W|outer space}}. So for some pilots in the 1960s it was enough to fly above 50 miles to earn the wings and eight pilots on the {{w|X-15|X-15 Program}} earned them like this. This explains why it was retired pilots who changed the sign - so their wings would still be valid.<br /> <br /> ==Transcript==<br /> :[A signpost with three arrows.]<br /> :[Arrow pointing up:] <br /> :Space 62<br /> :[Arrow pointing right:]<br /> :Jackson 115<br /> :[Arrow pointing left:]<br /> :Memphis 98<br /> <br /> ==Trivia==<br /> *See [http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2004/09/where_does_space_begin.html Slate: Where does space begin?] for more background.<br /> *This comic was published on the same day that Version 2 of the {{w|Dragon (spacecraft)|Dragon spaceship}} was unveiled.<br /> *The Memphis mileage may be a reference to {{W|Windows 98}}, which was internally codenamed Memphis whilst in development at {{W|Microsoft}}.<br /> *The milage suggests that the sign is on route 8 approaching route 61 from the west in Grenada Tennessee, though google street view shows no sign at the four-courners intersection.<br /> <br /> {{comic discussion}}</div>

EricP