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Space Shuttle Heading Home

Reuters is reporting that the shuttle has been prepping for a return to Earth, stowing gear and checking systems. Their expected return is tomorrow morning, around 9am EDT. From the article: "During tests on Sunday a leaking power unit for the shuttle flight control system appeared to be in good enough shape for landing and the jets that steer the spacecraft worked fine, NASA engineers said. The shuttle crew was still awaiting word on whether Discovery's heat shield had passed a final inspection performed on Saturday, but scans conducted with cameras and sensors throughout the flight had so far turned up no damage."

7 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Cojones by RsG · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, their cojones are in free-fall while in orbit; once they're back on earth and under gravity, then obviously they weigh more.

    --
    Erotic is when you use a feather. Exotic is when you use the whole chicken.
  2. Re:Cojones by kfg · · Score: 1, Funny

    I would have offered my first born if I had any kids.

    Yes, it's proven a wise strategy to send a monkey up first to see if it's safe.

    BOOM!

    "Uh, guys, can I interest you in my second born?"

    KFG

  3. Re:Cojones by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny
    I don't consider myself courageous. Yet even right after the two disasters, I would have paid someone all the money I have in my checking account to go up on the next flight.
    Yeah, well $17.53 isn't exactly enough to cover the fuel cost to haul your Twinkies laden ass into orbit now, is it?
  4. Beam me up by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    From the article:
    They repaired a broken transporter on the station which will be needed to complete construction of the half-finished $100 billion complex and also tested shuttle repair techniques.
    Now that that's fixed, they can just beam stuff up and won't have to worry about foam falling off the fuel tank.
  5. Re:Operating a freezer in space... by mtec · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Can they somehow utilize the "cold" of space for this purpose?"

    That's it! the -80C freezer is a screen door!

    --
    Cake or Death? Cake Please!
  6. Re:Operating a freezer in space... by R3d+M3rcury · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...and it only cost $435 dollars!

  7. Them ol' boys at the ol' NASA by jdbartlett · · Score: 2, Funny

    From a recent interview with NASA Discovery team maintenance staff member:

    "Yep, them there space trucker fellers been flyin' Ol' Betty since way back when, yessir. Now she may not have all them new silly-cone chips or them there onboard DVD players folks always talkin' 'bout, but you take her for a spin, I dare say she'll surprise you. Got some bite under the bonnet yet, that's what ol' Mark Kelly said when he first flew her. Jerry Morgan, he chimes in, he says, 'Yep, that's from when we picked up them snakes infestation back in Florida!' He ain't too impressed with Ol' Betty. Says flying a shuttle on a Commodore 64 is just plum wrong. Heh, o' course the gang always up to their li'l tricks. They put a bumber sticker on back says: 'My Other Shuttle's The Enterprise!' Had a big ol' laugh about it 'til ol' Mikey Griffin comes along. 'Boys,' he says, 'You better take that sticker awf.' Well, Lisa, she got quite the outspoken way of putting things. She say, 'Boss, we better not do that. That right there is a load-bearing bumper sticker!' Yessir. I daresay pretty soon we'll all be gettin' replaced by them new-fangled unmanned probes the Reds been cookin' up. I don't much care for that. Nossir, I don't..."