Armageddon (1998)

Factual error: During the scene where it shows people all over the world, just before the shuttles take off, it is daylight everywhere. It would actually be dark or near dark in parts of the world.

Factual error: The surviving space shuttle takes off from the asteroid horizontally, like an airliner taking off from a runway. This is absurd. There is no air to provide lift for the wings, so the shuttle - with its engines providing thrust straight back - would simply trundle along the ground like a car. It doesn't use its maneuvering jets at any time, and they are far too feeble to lift the weight of the shuttle anyway. Nor do they gimbal the main engine, which would lift the shuttle vertically on an axis through the centre of the engine - they swoop gracefully into the air after a long take off. Second, they'd have to count on finding a clear length of ground on a debris strewn asteroid. Vertical takeoff, anyone?

Factual error: The idea of two spacecraft blasting off together so close to each other at the same time is a joke. One would put the other at great risk. Not only is there massive fire and heat, but the vibrations from the noise of the exhaust do great damage to the surroundings. And there is great inconsistency about just how close the two spacecraft really are. The first still shot taken in the dark has them at different towers about 150 yards apart. But, then all the men take an elevator up ONE tower and are split apart into the two groups at the top of the tower. Furthermore, the launch takes place at Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39: the fixed and rotating service structures built for the Space Shuttle are visible. The pads at LC 39 are 8,700 feet apart (just over 1.5 miles). (01:00:00)

Trivia: While being strapped in, Rockhound tells Harry they're sitting on "something with 270,000 moving parts all built by the lowest bidder." This is a paraphrase of a quote by Alan Shepherd.

LorgSkyegon

Trivia: The character Freddy Noonan appears in, or is referenced in many scenes yet is more or less an afterthought. This is the same name as Amelia Earhart's navigator, who was involved in one of the most famous real life aerial mysteries, but is also a largely forgotten person.

af4dable

Trivia: Armageddon was released on Liv Tyler's (Grace Stamper) 21st birthday.

Steve Logan

Harry Stamper: You got any more bullets in that gun, Sharp?

General Kimsey: We spend $250 billion a year on defence, and here we are! The fate of the planet is in the hands of a bunch of ret*rds I wouldn't trust with a potato gun!

Harry Stamper: The United States Government just asked us to save the world. Anyone wanna say no?

Question: Does anyone know what the NASA employee says to Lev the cosmonaut the first time we see him? It sounds like "stasveecha"

LorgSkyegon

Question: Would someone please explain why they need a huge Gatling gun on the asteroid? Are they scared of aliens or what?

Question: When asked if he had any family, Colonel Sharp replies that he has "2 girls" although there is no mention of a wife. Are there any clues to what happened to his wife in the rest of the film?

reedsangel