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For overview of spacecraft in the Fallout series, see spacecraft. |
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Defiance 7 was a pre-War spacecraft launched by the United States of America.
Background
Captain Carl Bell was credited as the first human in space onboard the space capsule Defiance 7, during which he made a full revolution around the Earth in twelve minutes and seven seconds, a feat that was heavily disputed by the Soviet Union and China afterward.[1] Bell later died on May 5, 1961 when the capsule crashed on its return.[2] An exhibit in the Museum of Technology in Washington, D.C. was later built to commemorate his accomplishment and tragic fate.
Appearances
Defiance 7 is mentioned only in Fallout 3.
Behind the scenes
- Captain Carl Bell and the Defiance 7 are references to the suborbital flight of Alan Shepard, the first American in space, which occurred on the same date. His space capsule was named Freedom 7.
- In the real world, the number 7 was used in the names of all crewed flights of Project Mercury. This is shared by the Clarabella 7, a later USSA spaceflight that also took place during the 1960s in the Fallout universe.
- Bell's status as the first space-bound human being disputed by the Soviet Union is a reference to the fact that in the real world, it was a Soviet cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin who was the first human to journey into outer space aboard Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961.
- The Defiance 7's stated 12 minutes and 7 seconds to achieve a full rotation around the Earth is scientifically inaccurate as real-world science has determined that one full revolution around the Earth at a suborbital altitude would take 90 minutes at least if not longer.
References
- ↑ Fallout 3 message box transcriptions: "This is the actual USSA Deep Space Suit worn by Captain Carl Bell on May 5, 1961. Captain Bell is credited as being the first human in space on board the Space Capsule Defiance 7, but this has been constantly refuted by both the Soviet Union and China. Defiance 7's flight lasted for a total of 12 minutes and 7 seconds as it achieved one full revolution around the Earth."
- ↑ Fallout 3 message box transcriptions: "This is the actual skeleton of Captain Carl Bell who died on May 5, 1961 after his Space Capsule crash landed. Captain Bell is credited as being the first human in space on board the Space Capsule Defiance 7, but this has been constantly refuted by both the Soviet Union and China. Defiance 7's flight lasted for a total of 12 minutes and 7 seconds as it achieved one full revolution around the Earth. Donated by Edwina Bell."
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