1291: Shoot for the Moon

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Shoot for the Moon

Title text: Shoot for the Moon. If you miss, you'll end up co-orbiting the Sun alongside Earth, living out your days alone in the void within sight of the lush, welcoming home you left behind.

Explanation

This explanation may be incomplete or incorrect: If you can address this issue, please edit the page! Thanks.

The comic and the title text both parody the motivational quote attributed to Leslie Brown, which originally says, "Shoot for the Moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars."

In the original form, the quote is figurative, meant to inspire people to pursue ambitious goals, reasoning that even if they fail to achieve them, they may still accomplish other great things while trying. The comic and title text, on the other hand, attempt to interpret the quote literally, exploring the humorous aspects of doing so.

The comic is also referencing the common comedy trope of someone talking about another person when the person is standing right behind them and can hear everything they are saying.

The title text invokes another literal interpretation of the phrase - if a space vehicle aims at the Moon and misses, it will end up in a new orbit, possibly (depending on its velocity) escaping from the Earth-Moon system and following a separate but nearby orbit around the Sun.

Transcript

[Megan is standing at a pedestal.]

Megan: Students, shoot for the moon. If you miss,

[A moon is creeping up behind Megan.]

Megan: shoot again. Keep shooting and never stop.

Megan: Someday, one of us will destroy that stupid skycircle. And— ...What? What are you all—

Megan: ...It's right behind me, isn't it? Shit. Everyone act casual.

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Discussion

Danish, not Megan, right?! 108.162.216.56 06:33, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

The woman in this comic looks more similar to Megan than Danish. 108.162.216.45 07:39, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

Three meanings of shoot are used: 1. Have high plans 2. Fire a weapon 3. Aim for navigation. Sebastian --173.245.53.122 07:01, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

I'm pretty sure this is Megan, Danish have longer hair 108.162.208.172 12:18, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

The so far uncommented-about title text seems to be (almost What-If-ishly) literal in a completely different way. Except that I'm pretty sure you'll not stay within sight of the Earth, for most trajecectories. But you'd maybe find yourself in a complexly resonant orbit, maybe Cruithne-like. Just putting that out there. Resident orbital mechanics experts please feel free to evaluate accordingly. 141.101.99.210 17:05, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

Title text of course only applies to prograde approach. Retrograde would put you on a free return trajectory if you miss. (This is why Apollo used a retrograde approach, in case something went wrong on the far side, they wouldn't be stranded in a solar orbit.) --199.27.128.149 20:05, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

No time for more investigations (I will do soon):

Megan does act like JFK in 1962

The first Moon probes did not reach the Moon but entered a solar orbit as the title text does mention

There are many statements by Randall: hH does not like that JFK (propaganda).

Help me for more

--Dgbrt (talk) 23:35, 15 November 2013 (UTC)

Megan is clearly not quoting JFK.

Simple observation tells us that a an object sent on a moon flyby will enter solar orbit. The escape velocity of the earth is 11km/s but the escape velocity of the solar system is like four times that. Therefore, unless we accidentally accelarate the probe to over 40km/s, it will certainly remain in solar orbit.

There are only four comics listed in the JFK category and in two of them, the mention is incidental. I don't see any evidence that Randall "does not like that JFK", nor would I expect to. 108.162.219.58 01:48, 5 February 2014 (UTC)

Randall may have been imagining an earth orbit, which would explain being able to see it. 'Co-orbiting the Sun' is just the pedantic idea that the earth and moon orbit a common centre of mass.141.101.77.212 16:12, 3 November 2018 (UTC)

the comic was mentioned in What If #109. --valepert (talk) 19:53, 21 August 2014 (UTC)

With this comic being referenced in what if 109, and the possibility of it becoming a recurring joke, I wonder it what if 13 is also relevant here, an attempt to destroy the Moon with lasers. 108.162.217.11 (talk) (please sign your comments with ~~~~)

You could make a point that What If 81 (Catch!) also references this, what with a woman with identical hair pointing a gun upwards and the image having the hover text "Goodnight, Moon". Also, 13 wasn't about destroying the moon with lasers, just illuminating it. It just ended up turning up the power so much it did. Which, y'know, happens. -Pennpenn108.162.250.162 03:12, 3 March 2016 (UTC)