Shuttle Atlantis Finally In Orbit

Klaidas writes "After delays, the shuttle Atlantis has finally been launched today as expected. NASA reports: 'The shuttle Atlantis is in orbit, headed for a challenging new phase in the construction of the International Space Station. Commander Brent Jett and his five crewmates will install a new 17-ton segment of the station's truss backbone, adding a new set of giant solar panels and batteries to the complex. Three spacewalks are planned.'"

Comments

Penguins!

[NotQuiteReal]

The nickname for Atlantis is the Penguin - "What's black and white and never flies"...

Look it up!

...ducks...

space station work

[Desolator144]

Solar panels are good and all but if I were them, I'd install the bathrooms, internet connection, and Dance Dance Revolution cuz that would be awesome in space. I just hope someone doesn't appear inside the part they're working on saying that the new part will destroy his universe with exotic particles that don't obey the laws of physics (what? that joke was worth another whirl)

Re:space station work

[segfault7375]

...internet connection...

Silly, they don't make tubes long enough to reach into space.

Re:space station work

[Desolator144]

I just checked eBay and if you bought almost all the repeaters, batteries, wires, and ethernet cables, you could reach it. And then they could sign up for SBC so when they call about it constantly disconnecting, their stupid vans will have to blast off to check the line...but at least they won't be blocking off a busy city intersection to stare and point at the ground every other week.

Great

[gregTheBald]

Great, They get it in orbit just before the ZPM gets completely drained

What's that giant sucking noise I hear?

[SuperBanana]

Good luck and Godspeed to the crew on their current mission. Being an astronaut is an incredibly hard job and I salute the brave men and women who risk their lives (and sanity) in the name of science.

Easy, chief. Don't hurt your flag-waving hand too much.

Re:Does anyone else care?

[Abcd1234]

Well, if there was a "-1 Persecution Complex", I'm sure you'd get that instead.

Re:Its been a while since I complained about stori

[antifoidulus]

They had to stop in the ionosphere off of exit 50 on Space Highway 7 to go to a Bob Evans because Joseph Tanner forgot to pee and were getting kind of hungry. And you know how the ionosphere Bob Evans is, it takes FOREVER to get going again.

Re:Reverse space race?

[Anonymous Coward]

2010's: Where are those f#$%$#@ Apollo tapes that showed how we made to the moon 50 years ago?

Re:tag = pointless

[Anonymous Coward]

There are many programs that are extremely wasteful and stupid in the federal budget: NASA, AmTrak, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Endowment for the Arts, Foreign Aid, UN dues, Department of Education, Medicaid, unnecessary weapons systems like the Comanche and the F-22, rebuilding iraq, etc

Jeez, while I was asleep, Patrick Buchanan started reading slashdot. Just wow.

Re:Foam Fell off this one too

[6Yankee]

Sure, you mentioned the foam, but I bet you didn't find a way to blame SCO and/or Microsoft... MOD PARENT DOWN! :)

snark

[Sunburnt]

"WTF is up with "rebuilding iraq"? Why do we want to rebuild it for? We should just smash it up real good and then leave so that the arabs know not to fuck with us."

Donald Rumsfeld? Posting on /.? Who can say now that the Bush administration doesn't try to be open and forthcoming with the American people?

/snark

Re:The job of the astronaut sucks.

[DrKyle]

From your link: There are two astronauts, Gregory C. Johnson and Gregory H. Johnson. Both are pilots, both started in 1998. Did NASA get some help from aliens to make a clone or something?