For decades , every Soyuz roquette bunch packed a sidearm in their emergency kit — even after joining the International Space Station partnership . This “ survival of the fittest gun , ” the TOZ 82 , had three barrels and a baseball swing - out machete . But now , the guns remain at home .
Of course , the “ official ” purpose of the gun — which could discharge rifle bullet train , shotgun shells and flares — was for survival in a harsh environment , such as the Siberian wild , in the issue of an off - course of study landing . ( It also had a folding spadeful . ) Butaccording to journalist James Oberg , one of the precede U.S. experts on the Russian space program : “ Fiendishly , I proposed that to guarantee the gun only be usable in an off - course landing , it be hoard in compartment accessible only from outside the Soyuz , after land . There never was any reception to my helpful suggestions . ”
NASA astronauts had an opportunity to assay out the TOZ 82 during survival training with their Russian counterparts in the Black Sea . After floating around in the water for a sidereal day or two , the astronauts and cosmonauts would take a few minute to open fire several circle from each bedchamber off the deck of the education ship .
“ It was awe-inspiring how many vino , beer and vodka bottle the crowd of the ship could add up up with for us to shoot at , ” spaceman Jim Voss , who spent a stint aboard the international space post in 2001 , told Oberg . “ It was very accurate , ” he continued . “ We discombobulate the bottles as far as potential , probably 20 or 30 meter , then shot them . It was footling to strike the nursing bottle with the shotgun shells , and comparatively easy to off them with the rifle bullet on the first shot . ”
Oberg was never a fan of a deadly piece being aboard a infinite station , and he frequently called care to the issue in pressing conferences and meetings with Russian officials . He now enquire if he in reality had an impact :
Of course , plans were to utilise it only in especial circumstances on issue to Earth . But in space , on occasion , well - laid plans have a direction of turning out very differently . In my promotion cause , I indicate the bearing of the gun , specially in ignitor of recent space squad psychological problems , might be an invitation to a future catastrophe .
But something did happen — or rather , stopped happening . Last year I was tell by a NASA pressure official — not for attribution , of course — that the gunman had been murder from the standard survival outfit and I should ask the Russian Space Agency for confirmation . As common , the Russian Space Agency never reply to my queries .
So I asked the cosmonauts . During a press group discussion last summer in Houston , the team for the Soyuz launching in October was made uncommitted for one - on - one interview with journalist , and I always go to . There were so many entrancing delegacy - specific technological questions that I ran out of fourth dimension without getting to my 3×5 card grade “ GUN ? ? ” They were whisk out of the league room .
All was not lost . I rushed outside , as the two cosmonauts stood with their interpreter before walk back to the astronaut post . “ One more interrogation , please , ” I plead , in Russian . “ The side arm in the emergency brake outfit , do you still conduct it ? ”
They had enjoyed my early questions and so seemed generously disposed towards me , and smile . “ Ransheh , ” answered the commander , disport . “ Earlier”—adding that the old practice session had been suspended a few eld before , after his own first mission . As to why , he merely shrug his shoulders and grinned .
Oberg recently learned that the official policy is to still let in the gun on the stock list — but before every missionary work , there ’s a right to vote to remove it for that specific flight . So , the choice remains to carry a gun aboard the ISS . allow ’s just trust U.S.-Russian dealings do n’t devolve any further .
NASARussiaScienceSpace
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