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NASA Astronaut Watches 'Gravity' Movie for Space Tips

<p>NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio finally sees the Oscar-nominated movie "Gravity" — and jokes that it's good practice for a space station meltdown.</p>
Image: Sandra Bullock in Gravity | NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio
Sandra Bullock in a Soyuz during a scene from in "Gravity" (left) and NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio in a Soyuz during training (right).Warner Bros. | NASA

Real-life astronauts can easily point out flaws in the plot behind the Oscar-nominated movie "Gravity" — but they don't deny that it's a head-spinning thriller of a movie. And one of the current residents of the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Rick Mastracchio, jokes that even he might learn a thing or two from the on-screen perils of Sandra Bullock:

It's not as if Mastracchio hasn't had enough practice already: Back in December, he and crewmate Mike Hopkins took on a series of "Gravity"-level spacewalks to fix the space station. Along the way, Mastracchio had to deal with a spacesuit wardrobe malfunction and a mini-blizzard of potentially toxic ammonia. Note to screenwriters: Keep those plot twists in mind when you're writing the inevitable "Gravity" sequel.

— Alan Boyle, NBC News