Mystery: Why is NASA training astronauts in Medieval Weaponry

Think about this logically...How many situations could one find themselves in, especially these guys, where they wouldn't be properly equipped for their mission? I ask that only half seriously. It obviously has nothing to do with real combat, since a firearm seems more suitable for any time period.

I don't believe they would attempt to stage a boarding of a hostile spaceship using battleaxes, as it would be easier to shoot the enemy down...Or up, as the case me be in space. If they were going to crash-land in the middle of North Korea, or even a farm in Kentucky, everyone has firearms nowadays. And a firearm is more likely to survive a spaceship crash than a person. So you tell me what they're doing?

They've obviously got some weird fetishes over at the Nasa HQ...

Originally posted by 1AnunnakiBastard

Originally posted by dc4lifeskater
I agree to be able to survive when they travel to the past after all "non government scientists" have finally figured out how to travel faster then the speed of light and since we all know that the government science is always min of 30years ahead of non government science and the ability to travel faster then the speed of light is required for time travel.... there you go

but I would think nasa would just bring back with them some plasma weaponry but maybe no because they wouldn't want to chance it falling into the pasts hands?

very interesting stuffs

Ok, the time travel theory... But I doubt that time travelers with a summer training on medieval weapons, will make any difference against ancient men trained in the arts of steel blades, since they were 5 years old.

Why not... we are much smarter now then we were even 500 years ago, astronauts are also very smart people usually, they astronauts would be better at strategy, science, ect...

Who is to say they don't get some summer training then go home and practice what they learn? Plus what if they train on some cross bows like some nice new ones that can hit a target much further and more accurate then older ones and they went to a time before people even has some cross bows and fuxed them all up with that stuff?

IDK I'm just sayin

Also maybe in space ur not aloud to have guns and stuff? only medieval weapons?

The time travel option seems about as plausible as a stargate....ie not very.....
There armour muscles movement motion study seems very much like what theyd do...rememner they want to go to mars and theyll be far more active there than the moonwalkers were.....
The weapomns part is just for training the muscles.....

a couple of show stoppers

1. they have no space program and therefore need no 'sir astronauts' jousting about the heavens

2. won't all those swords, maces, axes and pikes cut holes in their space suits from all that jingling around on their utility belts?

3. added expense and weight of pages, horses, armour, pavilions, moat digging tools, drawbridge construction materials, damsels in distress, would need about 3 of each per astronaut - that's an extra payload of about 3 tonnes per astronaut and would require additional thrust to leave earth's gravity which means extra fuel, bigger rockets, horse-sized space suits, hay, dung recycling equipment etc etc

"in space, no one can hear your trumpet"

You know after thinking on this for a while what I have figured out? This really pisses me off....Our taxes pay for Nasa...so why on nasa's website is there not a thing that says we are doing this... it costs this and this is why we are doing it...

It would be to easy though for the government to let us know where our money goes or for what reasons... thats why I don't pay taxes

it might be so that they get used to real forces of physics rather than just the paper calculations in a pressured environment as knowing how much effort to put into stopping your opponents weapon at just the right moment may be the same as grabbing an out of control satellite safely during a space walk and it may be a great physical training tool for such activities as perhaps some astronauts have found tasks difficult due to while being fit they're not strong where its actually needed to move a 6 ton satellite into a safe position

reply to post by Wayfarer


Oh, yah. that makes perfect sense... from a certain point of view. Like you said projectile weapons, and even gas like pepper spray would be self defeating. The only security type weapons that could be used would of necessity be blunt force trauma weapons like clubs and bludgeons. Even cutting edged knives or short swords could cause damage to instruments, wiring or structural elements when swung or thrust into an opponent. Let alone the mess of blood spray at the opening of a major artery in Zero G.

The only allowable tools would be strike, poke and pin type moves with short but dull (and light) clubs or batons of sorts. That is surely an art form in the world of Renessance fighting. The big question is what for? Why would security be necessary at the space station? Who might have to be subdued in such a fashion? I thought astronauts were full time fun and happy campers?

There is only one bizarre and far fetched idea I have been toying with...

The space station is a contemporary Noah's Ark for the coming earth disaster that TPTB is not telling us about. Just before the comet or asteroid strike is to occur, a fleet of chosen few will lift off and occupy the space station (they been stocking it with God knows how many supplies over the last year or so). They don't show us much of the interior lately. International representatives will live together in close quarters for 6 months and there will be issues between them as to food, water, command, etc. There is where enforcement becomes necessary and anyone skilled in close quarter hand to hand fighting with middle aged weapons will be needed to resolve conflicts and maintain control while still in orbit. How crazy is that?

OK, so you tell me...

If the Astronauts where to travel in time, "so to speak", wouldn't they just take machine guns M60 or MAG 58 style,
and wipe out whoever they feel there in danger from?





Just plain weird ,,,

What specific forms (if any) are they interested in? I shamefully admit I didnt read the whole thread, cause it's late and I gotta sleep.

But my point is perhaps certain forms are great for balance and stuff? Sortof the whole football players-practicing-ballet concept.

If it was time travel their best defence would be modern weapons so it wouldn't make sense to need to learn how to sue medievil weapons. Two auto pistols could take down a whole mounted guard. Something as simple as a flare gun could scare the crap out of an army.

Why would you need to know how to use the weapons of the time?

This is a very interesting thread. I like the OP's theory that it has to do with a military action in space, where a projectile weapon could breach the hull of a spaceship or station. The fighting doesn't have to be zero G because it could be on the moon or something.

My immediate thoughts were that NASA had its hand in some time travel business; it would make sense, seeing as they are an organization that is used to exploring the frontier. You would need to know the weapons of the time if you were interested in maintaining a reasonable cover.

I think it's obvious.. Being it NASA and space.. I think they finally invented a lightsaber and now need to understand how to wield it!

reply to post by Elexio


I'll buy one if they really have built lightsabers...WOOT!!!

Time travel is too dangerous, to even consider :-

1. You can't use modern weaponry if you travel back in time, because if you lost any advanced weaponry or equipment, it would cause a Paradox in which you'd change the course of history.

2. Unless you believe in the parallel universe theory, in which a new reality is created for every decision that anyone takes. Then you'd create a new reality, but it wouldn't effect your original reality.

3. Of course if you did go back with a modern weapon and lose it, it could be a predestination paradox, as the man who finds it, learns how it works and invents modern gunpowder and or the first firearms

4 And lastly if you went back in time and used a modern weapon or any weapon for that matter on someone and killed them. That someone could have been a distant relative and you'd negate your own existance.

(note on No.4)

If you went back in time and killed one of your ancestors, you'd negate your existance ! But if you never existed, how could you go back in time to kill him ? You couldn't, so logically you'd pop back into existance as he never died.

Now go unscramble you brains.....



"Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast"

ACE Rimmer

What is the actual weaponry that they wanted training in or was it more the armour? If the armour then it is possible that it may be a good training tool for replicating the difficulties of manouvering around harsh extra terrestrial environments

reply to post by alfa1


Your theory sounds the most plausible, but the Soyuz comes equipped with a gun ever since a Soyuz landed off-course and was surrounded by a pack of wolves.

I vote team building. They probably voted as well with the condition that any excercise had to have a fitness element. So why not choose somethinga little different.

Probably because firearms are useless in an oxygen free environment. Combustion requires air.

I'm not thinking swords, I'm thinnking crossbows. There was some unique weaponry back then.

This is indeed an interesting thread. Has anyone ever read Michael Crichton's Timeline? I believe they made it into a movie as well. Its about a group of historians who travel back to medieval times

en.wikipedia.org...

this is just a a wild guess, but since this is ATS, I thought I would throw it out there...haha

or maybe someone invented a real lightsaber, and they need to learn how to use it???

whatever the reason, Im sure there is a logical explanation for it.

Originally posted by alfa1
How about... now that they have to ride the Soyuz to get to the ISS, they dont get to land on a nice runway next to home base.
The Soyuz comes down usually somewhere in the deserts of Kazakhstan in central Asia, where things can get wild and the natives might not be 100 percent friendly. At night.
Thats my idea, anyway.

Good comment, sounds logical.

More logical than say travel back in time to fight the black knight.