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Lucky Thirteen On the ISS

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the falling-room-only dept.

Hugh Pickens writes "Things may get a little tight in space as seven shuttle astronauts blast off from Florida on June 13 to join up with six colleagues already on the International Space Station bringing the ISS contingent to thirteen, the largest number of individuals on the platform ever at one time. The 13 space-farers represent seven from the US, two each from Russia and Canada, and one each from Europe and Japan. '"I don't know what it's going to be like," says Endeavour commander Mark Polansky, a veteran of two prior spaceflights. "We know it's going to be challenging with 13 people aboard."' During five spacewalks, an external platform will be added to the lab which will enable those experiments to be performed that require materials to be exposed to the harsh environment of space and astronauts also have to fit equipment to the exterior of the platform such as batteries and a spare space-to-ground antenna."

8 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. Re:13? Didn't they read Harry Potter? by GreenTech11 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You have too much time on your hands...

    --
    Laughter is the best medicine, except if you have a broken rib.
  2. What's a European? by njen · · Score: 2, Insightful

    There's nothing more annoying to "Europeans" than by labeling them all "Europeans". I learnt that the hard way by a very irate French woman and German man a year ago. "Europe" is not a country, the article doesn't say "seven from North America", does it?

    1. Re:What's a European? by Devil's+BSD · · Score: 4, Insightful

      They represent the European Space Agency, which is why they were just labeled as European. Please direct any further complaints to the ESA main office, or the EU headquarters.

      --
      I'm the Devil the Windows users warned you about.
    2. Re:What's a European? by sakdoctor · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Many a stupid piece of political correctness, came from people deciding what would, or wouldn't be offensive to other people.
      Those two people don't represent the other 700 million, who probably don't care, and are off to the pub.

    3. Re:What's a European? by xaxa · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I quite like being called European. I don't much like the bits of culture that are specific to my country, but I do like the bits that are broadly European.

  3. Re:Need Another Seven Astronauts by jabithew · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Why not? Justify your statement.

    Not that I'm disagreeing with you, there just aren't many definitions of 'country' that include the USA and exclude the EU. Common currency? Common language? How many Americans speak Spanish as a first language now? Common culture? You mean like Massachusetts and Louisiana right? Common government? Most of our law comes from the EU now. Constitution? Britain doesn't have a written constitution, but not many will deny that it is a country. If you view a constitution as a body of law then European law is pretty formidable.

    Would the majority of Europeans describe themselves as European first? No. But neither would the majority of English, Irish*, Scots or Texans.

    I don't disagree per se. But a country is one of those things you point at and say; "that's a country" without really knowing why.

    *Though this one is more complex.

    --
    All intents and purposes. Not intensive purposes.
  4. Re:13? Didn't they read Harry Potter? by xaxa · · Score: 2, Insightful

    If you believe in numerology...

    ...then I really hope you have nothing to do with the space industry.

  5. Re:Need Another Seven Astronauts by metaforest · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The EU is a Federation... not a Nation.
    They have a common bond only in the regional sense, no common language and only recently a somewhat central authority.