Space Cowboys
Movie Quote Quiz

Jerry O'Neill: It's got nothing to do with me.
Jerry O'Neill: It all depends on the woman and how willing she is to discover her infinite supply of orgasms.

Frank Corvin: You sent us up to this bastard, have us put it back into orbit, fully armed, just to save your own ass?

Sara Holland: I have never met a kid who didn't dream of being an astronaut when he grew up.
Col. William 'Hawk' Hawkins: Did you ever meet a kid who didn't grow up?

Barbara Corvin: Would you like me to read the instructions to you again?
Frank Corvin: Let me tell you something, my dear. Those instructions were written by a fellow in Japan when they made this damn thing. They were probably translated by some gringo who was an expatriate American that couldn't get a job in this country. And then the Japanese guy probably translated him just to double check on him. You don't need these instructions. Not at all. Tear them up.

Tiny, Bar Bouncer: I'll put you in the hospital, old man.
Frank Corvin: Yeah? Well, I've got MediCare. Go ahead and shoot your best shot.

Bob Gerson: How old are ya, Frank?
Frank Corvin: Old enough to know your ass is in a sling.

Col. William 'Hawk' Hawkins: What are you doing here?
Frank Corvin: Keeping a promise I made years ago.
Col. William 'Hawk' Hawkins: Was that the promise you made to kill me or the promise you made to have both my legs broke?

Col. William 'Hawk' Hawkins: Hello, Ikon. How we feeling today?

Bob Gerson: Francis D. Corvin.
Sara Holland: Is he dead?
Bob Gerson: Only if I'm lucky.

Jerry O'Neill: I'm an engineer! I stopped running when Nixon was president.

Frank Corvin: You know what the worst day of my life was? The day Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. I was probably the only person in America who wanted to commit suicide that day.
Col. William 'Hawk' Hawkins: Well, thanks a lot Frank. We haven't spoken in twelve years and that's basically been the big question on my mind, what could make you commit suicide.

Frank Corvin: My only hope is that whatever doesn't burn up lands on Gerson's house.

Eugene 'Gene' Davis: Morning, Hawk.
Col. William 'Hawk' Hawkins: Good morning.
Eugene 'Gene' Davis: What happened to your eye?
Col. William 'Hawk' Hawkins: L fell in the shower. Tell maintenance to put some no-slip adhesives on that slippery floor.
Eugene 'Gene' Davis: How's it going, Frank?
Frank Corvin: Fine, fine.
Eugene 'Gene' Davis: Whats with the eye? Slip in the shower?
Frank Corvin: How would you know that?
Eugene 'Gene' Davis: L think I'll have a chat with the janitor.

Col. William 'Hawk' Hawkins: What is a pancreas, anyhow? I mean, I don't know what the damn thing does for you, besides give you cancer.

Col. William 'Hawk' Hawkins: Flying brick... I like that.

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Mistakes

Revealing mistake: While the guys are going for their physicals, there's a scene in which blood is drawn and you can clearly see the tube connected to the end of the syringe pumping fake blood into the container.

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Questions

Question: What are the chances of four guys of their age ACTUALLY passing the physical to the required standards? I know they all kept reasonably fit but they struggled with running etc. so it seems unlikely they would pass all the tests. I know movie rules dictate suspense of disbelief to a certain degree, I'm just wondering what their chances would be in reality.

The_Iceman

Answer: Eastwood would be out on height alone and the rest probably have high blood pressure. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/606877main_FS-2011-11-057-JSC-astro_trng.pdf.

Chosen answer: It wasn't a matter of how physically fit they were, but that their particular combination of knowledge, skills, and past experiences were needed for this specific mission. The physical criteria would be amended in order to recruit them for that mission.

raywest ★

They were specifically told they wouldn't be given an easier ride and would need to pass the exact same tests as the younger astronauts. The physical criteria wouldn't have been amended to suit them so is it possible for 4 guys of this age to pass?

The_Iceman

Remember that at some point in the process it became a political issue - the old cowboys were wanted for their PR value, so physical test results would have been "fudged", if not ignored altogether.

ReRyRo

Agree that the physical requirements were a major plot point and part of the 'deal' for the team to go, but there was some relaxing of requirements and politics. In general, the answer is YES, old folks can go to space without major fudging of the requirements as was demonstrated by lots of astronauts in their late 50s, a few in their 60s, and John Genn at 77. Just recently an 82-year-old woman flew on Jeff Bezos' tourist rocket.

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