Why was my question closed as a duplicate?

Question

About a day ago, I asked the following question:

Skydiving... From a space station

It got a fair number of votes, and it was on the Hot Network questions list for a couple of hours. Then, it was closed as a duplicate of this question:

Returning from ISS, Felix style

While there are some similarities, like the height of the jump that question has some tight constraints, and doesn't answer the question I proposed, which takes place a couple hundred years in the future, with less tight constraints. A user also commented with this:

Not a duplicate -- the other question asks, "Given these resources, could someone parachute from the ISS?" This asks, "Is it reasonable to operate something that would allow you to parachute from the ISS?" The resources necessary is open. The answer to the previous question was no. The answer to this question is yes. – Brythan

I'm just wondering why it was closed, and requesting that it be re-opened.

Answer 1

The question was closed by community vote, and it has been reopened by community vote.

Sometimes questions end up being closed as duplicates even when they aren't actually duplicates at all. That's just what happens every now and then; the system isn't perfect, but it's good enough that such a situation can be handled quite readily by the community.

For what it's worth, you handled this exactly the way I feel it should be handled: by editing the question to highlight and clarify the differences between the questions involved.

The only really tiny thing I would encourage you to do differently next time would be to make that clarification in the question first, and only if that doesn't get the question reopened within a reasonable amount of time bring it up elsewhere, either in chat or on Meta.

Remember that editing the question during the "on hold" grace period automatically nominates the question for reopen review. Only if the question transitions from "on hold" to "closed" before you make the edit is there a need to bring it up elsewhere and ask for it to be reopened.

Answer 2

I took a look at both questions and while the premise is the same the requirements on the questions are very different. The Felix question gives a set scenario which = dead HALO jumper.

Ethan's question on the other hand allows more wiggle room in the form of future tech and asks

"And if so, is there anything that could be changed to make if somewhat plausible?"

I am voting to re-open.