Why does Walt Kerman wear a hazmat suit?

[SemiaCloud]

Walt Kerman, PR guy for the Kerbal Space Program, wears a hazmat suit. Any thoughts as to why, because I have nothing.

[wx7]

To avoid the toxic place that public relations are.

[Archgeek]

Hehehhee, think of what a PR guy has to deal with.

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To avoid the toxic place that public relations are.

CURSES! I've been ninja'd by a moon!

[SemiaCloud]

To avoid the toxic place that public relations are.

That's kinda funny, but I was expecting a little more of a legitimate answer.

[smjjames]

I think it's a joke that PR can get pretty toxic and people (and I assume, Kerbals) can get pretty nasty on social media and stuff.

That and he has to take the flak when things go bad.

[razark]

It's a reference to some TV show.

[Tex]

Perhaps its to foster the idea to the Kerbal public that working for the Space Program really is a safe place to work.

[Retread]

I believe that's a reference to Walter White from Breaking Bad. This guy:

[klgraham1013]

He used to be a community manager for a MOBA.

[Starwhip]

He's got to deal with the hobos on the launchpad when they put RTGs in garbage bins for warmth, too! Don't want that nasty radia-

What? Hazmat suits don't protect you from radiation? Oh...

[boxley]

He's got to deal with the hobos on the launchpad when they put RTGs in garbage bins for warmth, too! Don't want that nasty radia-

What? Hazmat suits don't protect you from radiation? Oh...

well they would, they wont protect you from ionizing radiation itself but it will resist radioactive particles such as an rtg exploding or tritium leak

[Wjolcz]

He used to be a community manager for a MOBA.

Nooooo! I can't give you rep for this one yet!

[Streetwind]

That's kinda funny, but I was expecting a little more of a legitimate answer.

It'e legitimate enough - it's literally what the game says about it

You can mouseover/rightclick/do something all of the dudes in the administration building to get a short info blurb on who they are and what they do.

[Dafni]

Gus Kerman is another reference to the same show

http://imgur.com/P4jYSY9

[Curveball Anders]

I think it's a joke that PR can get pretty toxic and people (and I assume, Kerbals) can get pretty nasty on social media and stuff.

That and he has to take the flak when things go bad.

It's even funnier when you remember that Squad is an interactive marketing company (with a game studio tucked on).

If anyone knows the potentially toxic environment of PR and Marketing, it's them

[Retread]

I always thought Gus Kerman was a reference to Mercury / Apollo astronaut Gus Grissom and that, "We hope nothing catches fire while he's here," refers to the way he died, in the Apollo 1 fire.

[razark]

I always thought Gus Kerman was a reference to Mercury / Apollo astronaut Gus Grissom and that, "We hope nothing catches fire while he's here," refers to the way he died, in the Apollo 1 fire.

Someone from Squad actually said it was a show reference. When the Gus/Apollo 1 fire connection was pointed out, and some people were rather disturbed, the response was "We didn't notice that. Maybe we should change it." I personally find it rather disrespectful to have it.

[Endersmens]

If I'm not mistaken, it spurred from Rowsdower, after SQUAD took a lot of complaints and stuff after a release. He mentioned in a devnote that he was "Fighting Fires, and might need to get a hazmat suit" Or something along those lines, and then SQUAD took that and ran with it.

Of course there are other reasons too, but that one's always the funniest to me.

[NecroBones]

My understanding from one of the previous dev posts too is that a lot of the artwork for those characters had been made previously but were never used, so it was just an easy way to put those to use.

[wossname]

Perhaps Gus has a few personal hygiene problems and the suit is for everyone else's benefit.

[strigon]

well they would, they wont protect you from ionizing radiation itself but it will resist radioactive particles such as an rtg exploding or tritium leak

Nonsense; they'd render you virtually immune to alpha radiation.

Even if it wouldn't altogether stop the other types, you'd still be better of with a suit than without.

[insert_name]

well seeing as the number one obstacle to the space program has been politics, he has to have to have protection

[GoSlash27]

I think he's just an OCD germophobe.

Best,

-Slashy

[NuclearNut]

Nonsense; they'd render you virtually immune to alpha radiation.

Even if it wouldn't altogether stop the other types, you'd still be better of with a suit than without.

And ironically they got it double wrong. A hazmat suit will not protect you from radiation itself, but it will protect you from inhaling any radioactive materials by accident. Alpha sources, while harmless on the outside of your body, can be quite nasty if you ingest them, beta emitters are definitely a bit of a problem, but assuming you add a millimeter of lead to the suit you should be completely safe from those, the big problem is gamma radiation, which can be dealt with through not being there and using automated equipment, transporting it underwater/behind a hot cell using automated equipment, or (preferably) not having that much of it thus making shielding during short transport times less needed.

Anyway, an RTG is most likely going to use Pu-238, so heat resistant gloves and a hazmat suit would be more than enough to handle Pu-238 pellets similar to the ones used in RTGs.

[NecroBones]

Anyway, an RTG is most likely going to use Pu-238, so heat resistant gloves and a hazmat suit would be more than enough to handle Pu-238 pellets similar to the ones used in RTGs.

Heat resistance would be a good thing, IMHO. Those pellets can get a bit warm.