Following the astronaut love triangle story, reported here in our last issue, there has been some curiosity about NASA's procedures for dealing with an astronaut who becomes unhinged while in orbit

National Review, March 19, 2007

Following the astronaut love triangle story, reported here in our last issue, there has been some curiosity about NASA's procedures for dealing with an astronaut who becomes unhinged while in orbit. NASA has now supplied the details from a 1,051-page manual covering every conceivable medical emergency in space.

Severe behavioral problems take up five pages. In brief: The berserk spaceperson's crewmates should bind his wrists and ankles with duct tape, tie him down with a bungee cord, and inject him with tranquilizers if necessary, speaking soothingly to him the while. (Shuttle medical kits include anti-psychotic medication, we are told.) All very encouraging, though the mental image of astronauts struggling to subdue a thrashing colleague in zero gravity leaves one wondering whether NASA has actually carried out any simulations. If they have, the film footage might revive public interest in the space program.