Nostromo and crew size

S.M: Are you referring to script, film or novelisation? In the novel anyway (if I remember correctly), they say it's oil. If the refinery is still in use there would be personnel there and there is no communication whatsover with it when they unhook it and leave it in orbit around LV-426 (There is even a risk that they will lose it). I'm referring to the novel now . . .

u only have to look at modern day oil rigs and refineries to see they r designed to be maintained by a minimal crew. my father worked in the north sea and even on an old rig like the balmoral the number of guys working the rig got less and less every year

chli-

Interesting. That makes me wonder what would prevent the rig from drifting away or succumbing to gravity if it weren't being towed while the crew was on the planet.

ali81

That is also an interesting real world point. Makes me wonder what happens if something goes wrong. For the movie, it was simply not addressed.

im sure if the company could design the ship to be manned with a skeleton crew then that's what theyd do, all major companies look to save money and the best way is to hire only the bare minimum number of crew. the only area that had more than one member dedicated to it was in engineering (parker and brett) so im sure the company felt that only 2 engineers would be required for major maintenance and the rest of the crew could help with minor problems. anything they couldn't handle im sure it was just a case of pointing the vessel in the required direction, sending a message and then going into stasis till a more experienced and higher numbered crew intercepted them

ali81

That sounds plausible. If WY was behind it, the refinery could have been a front and its fate didn't matter. After all, it was crew expendable. All that would matter would have been whether the Nostromo could have made it back.

yea Iv said that before. the nostromo was the first ship going anywhere near that system so a course correction wouldn't draw unwanted attention that a specific expedition would. they def knew about the signal way before the nostrono was anywhere near the system as the weyland files confirm that. since weyland passed away and im sure the files, along with any files from the events of Prometheus, AC and subsequent sequals would be sealed and coded, the board running the company may only just be becoming aware of these events.

ali81: Interesting about the oil rig. When I come to think of it I believe that the refinery which The Nostromo was towing was automated.

dk: According to the novel, Lambert made the calculations (the correct velocity) so the refinery wouldn't crash on LV-426 or stray away in space.

"Does it really matter S.M."

Yes.

"S.M: Are you referring to script, film or novelisation? In the novel anyway (if I remember correctly), they say it's oil. If the refinery is still in use there would be personnel there and there is no communication whatsover with it when they unhook it and leave it in orbit around LV-426 (There is even a risk that they will lose it). I'm referring to the novel now . . ."

It says at the start of the film "mineral ore". The novel (based on earlier drafts) says oil.  The novel also refers to it being automated and uninhabited. I think the fact Ripley blew up the ship makes any questions about it being automated moot.

As you also said, Lambert says it will stay up in orbit for at least 12 months before it decays. 

"That is also an interesting real world point. Makes me wonder what happens if something goes wrong. For the movie, it was simply not addressed."

What would go wrong?

Agree, S.M