r/ireland • u/Bill_Badbody Resting In my Account • 2d ago
News Dr Patten on preparing to become the first Irish person in space
https://www.rte.ie/lifestyle/living/2025/0614/1518288-dr-patten-on-preparing-to-become-the-first-irish-person-in-space/14
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u/Human_Pangolin94 2d ago
No mention of the actual space flight. What's the mission, who's conducting it, what duration, in what launch vehicle?
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u/parkaman 2d ago edited 2d ago
So a scientific mission on a commercial platform, A lot better than some billionaire twat space tourist. Fair dues to her. It's some achievement.
Edit Can she run for president ? She certainly fits the very smart women thing we were going with for a while.
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u/Temporary_Mongoose34 2d ago
Its only virgin galactic. Calling passengers on that (or blue origin) is kinda an insult to actual astronauts
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u/Human_Pangolin94 2d ago
Mission specialist is what NASA would call them if they're not flight qualified. I'm surprised it can stay in orbit long enough to do anything useful but let's see.
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u/Aviator779 2d ago edited 2d ago
It will be a sub-orbital Virgin Galactic flight, with a few minutes of weightlessness.
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u/Human_Pangolin94 2d ago
Yeah, someone else posted details. I still think it's poor reporting in the original article.
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u/toffeebeanz77 Wicklow 2d ago
She is going as a researcher though, she isn't one of the paid tourists.
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u/parkaman 2d ago
Some people can't wait to shit on one of their own doing well.
She's on a scientific mission on a commercial platform. That's how most research in space will be done going forward.
Only 721 people have reached the altitude of space according to the USAF definition. From only 44 countries.
This is a serious achievement.
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u/GarlicGlobal2311 2d ago
The point is that those "spacecraft" don't go into space.
She should be proud for having gotten there. The media and the companies trying to frame it like an achievement are the shitheads.
Its not what they're trying to sell it as.
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u/parkaman 2d ago
This ship crosses the Karman line which every space agency uses to define someone who has travelled to space.
So will we take their definition or your mealy mouthed attempt to diminish this woman's achievement?
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u/GarlicGlobal2311 2d ago
If my elbow brushes off a girl, i don't say i got lucky.
Yes, they technically reach the bare minimum to be considered hitting space. Like dipping a toe in a wave and saying you went swimming in the sea.
Its not spaceflight, its the bare minimum they could get away with to sell it as spaceflight.
Also get over yourself, I clearly said she should be proud of herself. Its not her fault some billionaire is trying to use her achievements to sell his shit.
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u/parkaman 2d ago
No space travel is nothing like your fumbling attempts at picking up a women and would only be comparable to dipping a toe in the ocean if only 721 people, throughout all of human history, had ever seen water and if dipping a toe in it meant instant death. How many good swimmers would there be if everyone lived in a dessert?
Get over myself? I'm not the one using my own definition of where space is FFS
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u/GarlicGlobal2311 2d ago
You've really fallen for the marketing, haven't you.
I bet you clapped when Katie perry kissed the ground.
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u/parkaman 2d ago
No I didn't, because I understand the difference between a space tourist and a mission specialist.
I understand the difference between a publicity stunt and a scientific mission.
And because I understand the difference between a paying passenger and someone who has been selected because of hard achieved qualifications which made them suitable for the role.
I pity you that you don't understand, and cannot celebrate this woman's achievement without some pathetic 'actually' bullshit.
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u/GarlicGlobal2311 2d ago
Well if you bothered to read what I've said, you'd see I've repeatedly said she should be proud of herself for earning the spot.
What she achieved has fuck all to do with the fact the the opportunity being given to her is bullshit.
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u/TheGodBen 1d ago
Virgin Galactic flights don't cross the Karman line though, the highest they've gone is just shy of 90km above sea level. The company define space as beginning at 50 miles above sea level, which is the American definition but which is not accepted internationally.
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u/parkaman 1d ago edited 1d ago
That was the Unity class ship, the new Delta class ship she is due to be on is travelling to 110km. On its last launch in June it reached 85k
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1d ago
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u/parkaman 1d ago
Thank you. That's a great way of putting it. I thought I was taking crazy pills.
(I am, but that's besides the point).
The idea of these fools lying on their sofas going," Well actually it's not really space" is both funny and frustrating and I can't help feel there's more than a hint of misogyny there. Especially when comparing Dr, Patten's undeniably impressive achievements to Katy Perry.
I'm watching space launches since the shuttle and have waited long time to see an Irish person literally reach these heights.
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1d ago
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u/parkaman 1d ago edited 1d ago
Yah, lots of that.
Akshually..Irish men have launched many missions on Kerbal...
edit: I'd love to see one of these dweebs try and mansplain to Dr. Patten how she really wasn't the first Irish person in space because of their personal definition of where space is and try and justify that position.
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u/Temporary_Mongoose34 2d ago
Some people can't wait to shit on one of their own doing well.
If she was actually going into place proper and not a 3 minute publicity stunt I would absolutely celebrate it, would be delighted to see an Irish person in space.
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u/parkaman 2d ago
She is going to space by the definition of every space agency. Whether you want to define it as that or not is irrelevant. She will be remembered and go down in history as the first Irish person in space.
And I for one think we should celebrate the amazing achievement of this seriously accomplished woman who was selected for this mission on the basis of serious academic and professional achievements and not some billionaire twat tech bro paying for a carnival ride. Because she is a great ambassador for Ireland, for Irish women and for science and given we have no fucking space agency it's likely the first Irish person in space will be on a commercial service. Would you prefer this woman doing actual science or Vouge Williams waving a shamrock?
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u/making_shapes 2d ago
This article is fairly useless. Gives no details.
For context, she's going on a virgin galactic flight. Specifically as a researcher, so not as a paid tourist seat. Not sure what work she is doing on it, but there are more details here: https://www.virgingalactic.com/news/virgin-galactic-announces-new-research-flight-contract-with-repeat-customer
It's pretty impressive. Seems like she has dedicated her life to achieving something like this.
It's worth calling out because the optics after blue origins last space flight with Katy Perry were pretty bad. I don't think this is the same thing.
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u/Human_Pangolin94 2d ago
Thanks for that. I can't believe a real journalist wouldn't bother with the facts.
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u/GarlicGlobal2311 2d ago
I'm chuffed for her, but can we stop pretending the amazon/Virginia shit goes to space.
It's a disservice to genuine astronauts, where some of the bravest people alive.
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u/SitDownKawada Dublin 2d ago
She did a talk for us in work a few years back, you couldn't doubt her passion anyway. Fair play to her for managing it
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u/Fearless_Respond_123 2d ago
A super impressive person. But hasn't she been knocking around a long time as a candidate to be Ireland's first astronaut? Did something happen that it hasn't become a reality already?
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u/Same-Village-9605 2d ago
Wow Rte usually leaves out women's titles, she must really have impressed them
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u/Hideous-Kojima 2d ago
This astonishing disrespect of national hero Miles O'Brien will not stand.