---
title: "This is what it would be like to be a Space Shuttle Door Gunner"
description: "The idea of a \"Space Shuttle Door Gunner\" has always been a joke around the military. It's so outlandishly silly that no one would dare think it's real."
date: "2020-02-05"
modified: "2020-10-22"
authors:
  - name: "Eric Milzarski"
    link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/eric/"
url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/this-is-what-it-would-be-like-to-be-a-space-shuttle-door-gunner/"
categories:
  - "Entertainment"
  - "Join the Military"
  - "Military Culture"
---

# This is what it would be like to be a Space Shuttle Door Gunner

![](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/assets.rbl.ms/17493023/origin.jpg>)

The idea of a "Space Shuttle Door Gunner" has always been a joke around the military. It's so outlandishly silly that no one would dare think it's real.

---

With last year's proposed [Space Corps](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/this-is-what-the-potential-us-space-corps-could-look-like/>), the expansion of civilian space programs, and a growing need for a [military presence in space](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/why-a-war-in-space-may-come-sooner-than-you-think/>) to protect American assets, President Trump gave his nod to the idea of a "Space Force." This joke may soon be reality. But there are still many roadblocks in the way – like physics, for instance.

For obvious reasons, the door would have to be closed during takeoff and landing, otherwise, friction alone would tear the shuttle apart. Tragic examples of what [foam shedding](<https://www.space.com/19436-columbia-disaster.html>) and a faulty [O-ring](<https://www.space.com/18084-space-shuttle-challenger.html>) can cause means that any fighting a door gunner would see would have to occur beyond a distance from Earth to allow for EVA ([extravehicular activity](<https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-a-spacewalk-k4.html>)).

![](<https://www.wearethemighty.com/wp-content/uploads/legacy/assets.rbl.ms/17493024/origin.jpg>)

Now that the door gunner is properly outside of Earth's atmosphere, they could begin their watch. A properly tethered door gunner could hold their post for a while. The [current record](<https://www.space.com/22414-cosmonauts-break-record-longest-russian-spacewalk.html>) for longest EVA, also known as a "spacewalk," is held by Cosmonauts Fyodor Yurchikhin and Alexander Misurkin at 7 hours and 29 minutes. They walked outside of the International Space Station to install power and data cables — but a door gunner could hold that post for longer.

Finally, the nitty-gritty of space combat. A door gunner could easily bring modern weapons into space and, surprisingly, only have a few problems firing it. This is because modern ammunition has its own oxidizer, so no atmospheric oxygen is required. There wouldn't be any sound (since audible sound doesn't travel in a vacuum) and the recoil wouldn't matter in low-Earth orbit because the shuttle would be moving at around [4 miles a second.](<https://www.space.com/16748-international-space-station.html>)

Tests on Earth have proven bullets fire in a vacuum. [(via GIPHY)](<https://giphy.com/gifs/gun-3xJ3oSBHCSz1mwatuW>)

The downsides would be that, without friction to slow down the bullet, it would travel until it hit something — the enemy, Earth, or some distant object forever away. Also, without gravity and oxygen to dissipate the gunpowder smoke, a large cloud would expand from the barrel.

So, yes, being a Space Shuttle Door Gunner *is* physically possible and may be needed one day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CcDqplKw\_c

## Author
Eric is a U.S. Army veteran and was deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division where he served as a radio operator. After being honorably discharged, he then pursued a career in the film and television world.He is now the resident "nerd" at We Are The Mighty. To follow Eric on social media: please check out the links below. [Facebook](<https://www.facebook.com/EricMilzarski/>)