Talk:2804: Marshmallow

Made a start, not sure if the heating up science is completely correct though MrCandela (talk) 13:54, 19 July 2023 (UTC)

Because I'm a nitpicker, I kind of want to see some mention in this blurb about how reentry is usually a communications blackout period, due to the plasma sheath blocking all radio waves, and so talking with Houston *during* reentry is unrealistic. I strongly suspect Randall knew this, though, and ignored it for the sake of the joke. Trimeta (talk) 14:08, 19 July 2023 (UTC)

In the case of the space shuttle it was possible to circumvent the problem of radio blackout by relaying the radio through satellites (the plasma blocks the radio waves downwards, but there was be a window upwards). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communications_blackout#Spacecraft_reentry Rps (talk) 15:39, 19 July 2023 (UTC)

Some things that should probably be added: The comic was likely published in anticipation of the 54th anniversary of the first moon landing on the 20th of July 1969 In reality, the marshmallow, exposed to the vaccum of space, would expand due to the internally trapped gasses until its structural integrity failed https://youtu.be/MYAmPRQ4eWo?t=285 The title text should probably direct reference to Kessler syndrome, in which a single collision of orbiting objects causes a chain reaction filling low earth orbit with debris, in this case, tasty stacks 162.158.155.71 14:30, 19 July 2023 (UTC)

IMO, "Reentry Marshmallow Toasting Module" refers only to the Marshmallow arm and any necessary associated parts (covers, actuators, etc.), not the whole spacecraft (as the way it is currently written suggests). That is, as for instance, Apollo had a command module, a service module, etc.(?) in this case, there is this extra module. I think it is not unusual to have experiments or sensors piggy-backing in a existent spacecraft or probe. Rps (talk) 15:55, 19 July 2023 (UTC)