Magnetic boots are
boot
A boot is a type of footwear. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle, while some also cover some part of the lower calf. Some boots extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is cle ...
s that are
magnetic
Magnetism is the class of physical attributes that are mediated by a magnetic field, which refers to the capacity to induce attractive and repulsive phenomena in other entities. Electric currents and the magnetic moments of elementary particle ...
, which allows them to attach to the
ferrous floor or
hulls of a
spacecraft
A spacecraft is a vehicle or machine designed to fly in outer space. A type of artificial satellite, spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, Earth observation, meteorology, navigation, space colonization, p ...
during
weightlessness
Weightlessness is the complete or near-complete absence of the sensation of weight. It is also termed zero gravity, zero G-force, or zero-G.
Weight is a measurement of the force on an object at rest in a relatively strong gravitational fi ...
, and presumably would allow someone to walk around the
cabin
Cabin may refer to:
Buildings
* Beach cabin, a small wooden hut on a beach
* Log cabin, a house built from logs
* Cottage, a small house
* Chalet, a wooden mountain house with a sloping roof
* Cabin, small free-standing structures that serve as in ...
of a spacecraft.
Use by astronauts
Magnetic boots have not yet been used in actual space flight. Astronauts on the International Space Station use foot straps to stand in place at workstations or on exercise equipment.
Use in science fiction
Although many
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
works assume some type of
artificial gravity or use
rotation
Rotation, or spin, is the circular movement of an object around a '' central axis''. A two-dimensional rotating object has only one possible central axis and can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. A three-dimensional ...
to "create" gravity, magnetic boots still feature for purposes of exterior repairs or in
emergency situations.
Magnetic boots were notably used in ''
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country'' to stage a surprise attack by disabling the artificial gravity on a ship and so providing a
tactical
Tactic(s) or Tactical may refer to:
* Tactic (method), a conceptual action implemented as one or more specific tasks
** Military tactics, the disposition and maneuver of units on a particular sea or battlefield
** Chess tactics
** Political tacti ...
advantage to attackers wearing them. The investigation of who had access to magnetic boots featured prominently in the plot. Other
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
depictions include ''
Star Trek: First Contact'' where the crew battle
cyborgs on the hull of the ship and ''
Star Trek: Enterprise'' where they are used for hull repairs.
Such boots were featured in ''
The Adventures of Tintin
''The Adventures of Tintin'' (french: Les Aventures de Tintin ) is a series of 24 bande dessinée#Formats, ''bande dessinée'' albums created by Belgians, Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the pen name Hergé. The series was one ...
'' comic ''
Explorers on the Moon'', to prevent the characters from floating around in the cabin if the artificial gravity failed.
The Celestial Voyages historical science fiction series by Jeff Provine uses magnetic boots as the main sense of balance in its Edwardian starships.
In the ''
Ratchet & Clank series
''Ratchet & Clank'' is a series of action platformer and third-person shooter video games. The franchise was created and developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment for PlayStation consoles, such as PlayStatio ...
'', one of the gadgets is a pair of "Magneboots", which are used to traverse special ventilation shafts in the first installment of the series ''
Ratchet & Clank''. Though in ''
Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando'' and later, the Magneboots were replaced with the Gravity Boots, allowing one to walk up special vents and surfaces, to jump and walk like normal, and also to use weapons and other gadgets.
In ''
2010: Odyssey Two'', it is stated that Soviets view artificial gravity as a luxury, and as such their vessel the ''Alexi Leonov'' features very limited artificial gravity. The crew uses magnetic shoes to easily walk around the ship. Magnetic shoes are a running theme of the series and are used by crews of small Pan Am shuttles as well.
In the novel and television series ''
The Expanse
Expanse or The Expanse may refer to:
Media and entertainment
''The Expanse'' franchise
* ''The Expanse'' (novel series), a series of science fiction novels by James S. A. Corey
* ''The Expanse'' (TV series), a television adaptation of the ...
'', characters frequently use magnetized boots to keep themselves upright when not using thrust acceleration to simulate gravity.
See also
*
Artificial gravity
References
External links
* PBS' ''History Detectives''
Space Boots 2010
Boots
Magnetic devices
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