What NASA earlier reported as an “unidentified” object ‘floating” (UFLO….my acronym) away from space shuttle Discovery, which is on a return trip from the international space station, has now been identified.  The 1.5 foot long object is a clip that is part of the rudder speed brake insulation.  No worries, says NASA, this has happened before…..


“NASA says the missing clip isn't critical for landing. It's used to protect the speed brake from high temperatures during the shuttle's launch. "Orbiters have come back with those missing. It's just not a factor for entry," Mission Control told the shuttle crew. “

Oh, my…I know I feel better.  I hope the crew does.

Read about it from Breitbart   ç  here





Space Shuttle Discovery being
prepared for mission

Looks like airports are going to be seeing a little more than your underpants, since eventually over 2000 of the nation's airports will be replacing metal detectors with body-scanners that can see through your clothing.  You've probably heard of these scanners before...they can see your body parts very clearly.






"Body-scanning machines that show images of people underneath their clothing are being installed in 10 of the nation's busiest airports in one of the biggest public uses of security devices that reveal intimate body parts.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently started using body scans on randomly chosen passengers in Los Angeles, Baltimore, Denver, Albuquerque and at New York's Kennedy airport.

Airports in Dallas, Detroit, Las Vegas and Miami will be added this month. Reagan National Airport in Washington starts using a body scanner today. A total of 38 machines will be in use within weeks.

"It's the wave of the future," said James Schear, the TSA security director at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, where two body scanners are in use at one checkpoint.

Schear said the scanners could eventually replace metal detectors at the nation's 2,000 airport checkpoints and the pat-downs done on passengers who need extra screening. "We're just scratching the surface of what we can do with whole-body imaging," Schear said."

Read the full story on USA Today

Good news!

The story from January, about the Spy Satellite that is supposed to fall from the sky in March; well it looks like the U.S. is here to save the day.

Our Navy is planning to shoot down the broken satellite, according to the Pentagon.

Officials said we would most likely shoot it down before it re-enters the atmosphere, using a special missile modified for the task.

The last time the U.S. attempted to do such a thing was 20 years ago. 

China did the same sort of thing just last year.

If the mission should fail, the satellite would fall to earth as anticipated.

Read the story from the International Herald Tribune

U.S. Officials Say Broken Satellite Will Be Shot Down   ¡ here


______________________________


Remember Skylab?

Do you know where you were when it fell in 1979?

I remember where I was.

There was so much hype about Skylab falling...

No one was sure where it would fall.

For some reason I was up visiting the Cave of the Mounds.

Don't know if that was on purpose. 

I do love looking at caves.

I remember they were selling novelty spray cans of Skylab repellent!

Guess what?

There's a new kid in town....


U.S. Spy Satellite Falling To Earth   ç  here

P.S.

An Australian municipality, the Shire of Esperance, fined the United States $400 for littering when Skylab fell.  In 2004, the History Channel documentary "History Rocks" stated, in an episode covering major events of 1979, that this fine has never been paid.