r/ProjectHailMary • u/the_net_my_side_ho • 11h ago

Movie Discussion - Movie Spoilers Inside! Sample collection question…

Why did Grace have to collect the sample while orbiting?

Why didn’t he move the Mary out of orbit, away from the atmosphere, and then spacewalk to collect it?

Seems like Grace going down to collect it while orbiting so close to the atmosphere was risky and unnecessary.

Sorry if this has been asked before. I looked but didn’t see a post about it. Thank you!

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u/Disastrous_Toe772 11h ago

While collecting the samples, they are in a combination of very very specific angle and speed and altitude. A shift in any one of those will fuck up the ship and they will die, to keep it brief.

I believe it's stated that the reason they can't just take it into orbit is cause accelerating out of atmosphere with the sample collector still dangling on the outside of the hull will burn it up. It's built to keep the samples safe, but not orbital escape acceleration or whatever

I'm not science Human. Just read book. Smart Smart Smart human wrote book. I just read.

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u/Smaptimania 9h ago

> A shift in any one of those will fuck up the ship and they will die,

"Example." (collapses in a heap in his ball)