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NASA's Space Balloon Smashes Car In Australia

Humunculus writes "Of more worldly issues, NASA's latest multimillion-dollar stratosphere-bound balloon launch has gone horribly wrong and crashed into a car, turning it over and narrowly missing two elderly people who were observing the launch. The payload fared worse, reportedly being smashed into a 'thousand pieces.'"

22 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. First by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    First splat

    1. Re:First by twistedsymphony · · Score: 5, Funny

      The director of the Balloon Launching Centre, Professor Ravi Sood, says no one was hurt.
      But he says the scientists involved in the NASA-sponsored project are crushed.

      Rather harsh punishment don't you think?

  2. No one was hurt? by AnonymousClown · · Score: 4, Funny

    The director of the Balloon Launching Centre, Professor Ravi Sood, says no one was hurt. But he says the scientists involved in the NASA-sponsored project are crushed.

    It says right there, some NASA scientists were crushed in the accident.

    I think the old couple needs to sue, sell chunks of their car on eBay, and retire rich!

    --
    RIP America

    July 4, 1776 - September 11, 2001

  3. NASA forgot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    that Australia is upside down

  4. In related news... by Stenchwarrior · · Score: 4, Funny

    The lead baloon engineer, known for his cocky attitude and general air of superiority, had his ego severely deflated.

    --
    Loading...
    1. Re:In related news... by bwcarty · · Score: 5, Funny

      The lead baloon engineer....

      Why was he trying to engineer a lead balloon? Didn't he watch that episode of MythBusters?

    2. Re:In related news... by corbettw · · Score: 2, Funny

      lead baloon

      I think I figured out why the launch failed.

      --
      God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.
  5. could someone translate from australian for me? by circletimessquare · · Score: 5, Funny

    He said the balloon was then seen lying partially-inflated above a paddock "like a white Uluru".

    what's a paddock?

    and what is with the reference to an albino version of a star trek character?

    i know you australians typically speak german like your neighbors to the north, but if you are going to write a story in the american language, try to more precise

    thanks

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
    1. Re:could someone translate from australian for me? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      > Rife with typo's

      Ah, the ireny.

    2. Re:could someone translate from australian for me? by static416 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Exactly. I can't understand any of this:

      "That balloon was as large as the Melbourne Cricket Ground when fully inflated, carried a two-tonne payload and travelled in the outer edge of the atmosphere at 50 metres per second."

      They should know that in the US the standard units of measurement are football fields for length or area, elephants for mass, lightning strikes for probability, NASCARs for speed, DVDs for data, and swimming pools for volume.

      "Outer edge of the atmosphere"? How many Empire State Buildings up is that?

    3. Re:could someone translate from australian for me? by Dishevel · · Score: 3, Funny
      Data is described in LOC.

      Please turn in your card at the door.

      --
      Why is it so hard to only have politicians for a few years, then have them go away?
  6. Re:CRIKEY MATE by tumutbound · · Score: 4, Funny

    I find this response insulting. Australians do not drink Fosters! It's for export only. Nothing is too bad for the rest of the world.

  7. Rover! by schmidt349 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Why did you think a big balloon would stop people?

  8. oh yeah? what have you aussie's given the world? by circletimessquare · · Score: 3, Funny

    freud, schwarzenegger, mozart, schrodinger...

    ok, that's respectable

    respect to you australians then

    but you really should stick with your native german language

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  9. +1 for the Idiocracy by kenp2002 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I remember when NASA could sling shot a satellite 40,000+ miles looping around a planet 32 times, ricochet of an asteroid and drop a golf ball in a cup of coffee in the middle of Denver blindfolded with both hands behind their back.

    Now they can't remember to convert metric to imperial (and back again) and can't launch a ballon...

    Damn NASA used to be the best and the brightest. I worry if we'll be able to feed ourselves by the end of the year :P

    NASA's performance was once the measure of the USA's intellectual success... I'm worried... apparently more money on education doesn't = smarter people...

    I mean come on it's not rocke...errr wait...

    --
    -=[ Who Is John Galt? ]=-
  10. Another hoax! by Jetrel · · Score: 3, Funny

    Was there a little boy in it? Is he OK??

    --
    If it isn't broke, tinker with it till it is!
    1. Re:Another hoax! by dave420 · · Score: 4, Funny

      He was until a dingo got to him.

  11. you're so ignorant of history by circletimessquare · · Score: 3, Funny

    austria before world war ii was known as the empire of austria-hungry

    this was solved by the invasion of turkey

    turkey is a delicious country, especially on thanksgiving day, which is the day turkey was able to remove the hungry part of the austro-hungryian empire

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  12. Re:CRIKEY MATE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I find this response insulting.
    Australians do not drink Fosters!

    It's for export only. Nothing is too bad for the rest of the world.

    Not everyone has an Australians refined taste for wood alcohol. Most can't tell which car's radiator was used in producing the alcohol or how many hours old it is.

  13. lol by circletimessquare · · Score: 2, Funny

    you compare a country to a misspelling of its name and you have the audacity to question my grasp on geography?

    put another shrimp on the barbie and go watch the sound of music kid, the part where crocodile dundee teaches julie andrew's eight kids how to sing

    learn something before you spout your ignorance, stupid child

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  14. Whoosh? by Pteraspidomorphi · · Score: 5, Funny

    It may be a bad day for balloon launches, but at least jokes seem to be flying right past some people.

    1. Re:Whoosh? by Registered+Coward+v2 · · Score: 3, Funny

      It may be a bad day for balloon launches, but at least jokes seem to be flying right past some people.

      Yup, unfortunately for NASA this story may yet balloon out of control or at least blown up out of proportion. Then again, I may just be full of hot air.

      --
      I'm a consultant - I convert gibberish into cash-flow.