Factual error: The Russian says that the missiles in IKON are locked onto American cities. The implication is that those cities will be destroyed if Eastwood screws up. Actually, since the orbit has decayed from geosynchronous (an altitude of roughly 22,000 miles) to low Earth orbit at 1000 miles, I don't think the missile guidance systems would get a chance to work. If the missiles were launched, they would simply shoot down toward the Earth and blow up wherever they happened to be. So, prayers to anyone unlucky enough to be directly below those missles.
ReRyRo
27th Aug 2001
Space Cowboys (2000)
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Suggested correction: Entry states an implication. This may have been inferred by this one viewer, but the movie never stated any such thing, so therefore it cannot be considered an error.
30th Sep 2007
Space Cowboys (2000)
Factual error: In many scenes in space, the stars are shown twinkling or flickering. This occurs only when seen through an atmosphere.
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Suggested correction: Stars also twinkle or flicker due to intervening interstellar gas clouds, so this is no error.
27th Aug 2001
Space Cowboys (2000)
Corrected entry: This line of thinking is repeated twice, once by the NASA scientist and once by the Tommy Lee Jones character: "To get to the moon, you only have to go halfway - gravity will take you the rest of the way". Actually, since Earth's gravity is 6 times greater than the moon's, you would have to go 6/7ths of the way, otherwise you return to Earth.
Correction: The assertion that 6/7ths of the distance to the moon is the point at which the gravity between the earth and the moon cancel out is basically correct, however, this pertains only to a stationary object at that point (known as Lagrangian 1). However, the momentum of a rocket changes this equation and depending on its speed, it could indeed be the halfway point at which the rocket could "coast" until the Moon started pulling it more strongly than the Earth. No speed is stated so this is no error.
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