The movie Gravity came out in Ireland about a month after it opened in the US so I desperately avoided any references to it until I saw it in 3D a few weeks ago. Some bits of it were really good, the 3D effect of things blowing up were spectacular but Hollywood really took liberties with some aspects of orbiting the earth.
That bit where Kowalsky races to rescue Stone and tells her to shine her torch seemed so far fetched. The violence she suffered when she was ripped off the shuttle sent her spinning off at great velocity. How could anyone spot a tiny torch glowing in the deep reaches and distance of space?
Then it hit me, Kowalsky was a Kerbal. He had a navball and a map. Must be it.
Your eyes are very good at spotting movement as well as light even at far distances. So it wouldn’t be too far fetched to be able to see the light, and if it was strobing, being able to spot it.
Considering how damn realistic the rest of the movie was, I’m sure it was backed up by facts.