Meanwhile, In Space....
Earthly matters have intervened in my efforts to keep the Memphilter community abrest of human activities in the heavenly realm, and I apologize and ask for understanding as I try to cut through the thickets of bullshit. This is especially troublesome as there has been so much happening!
As you've probably heard, earthly matters have also intervened in the efforts to send the Discovery to the International Space Station. STS-114, led by one of my personal heroes Commander Eileen Collins. Collins and her crew of six were just getting strapped in to their acceleration couches when their Wednesday launch was scrubbed by a problem the launch crews thought they had fixed. One of four fuel gauges in the huge external tank had malfunctioned during a full-stack tanking test in April, forcing NASA to move the shuttle back to the VAB and switch out the entire tank for a new one. Why the glitch cropped up in the new tank during the component's final test, despite the fact that all of the relevant components had been replaced, is at this point a total mystery. Techinicians at the Cape are now in full troubleshooting mode, working around the clock to figure out what the hell is going on and fix it in time to beat the July 31 closing of the launch window. Collins' latest statement is typically Right Stuff, and includes a semicolon. "My crew will remain in quarantine for the near future, maintaining our proficiency for this mission,” she says. " “We are keeping in close touch with the troubleshooting plan; we have confidence that the best people are working it."
Typo of the Day
"Lesbian socialite Domino quit modelling 12 years ago to capture fugitives and criminals for a Los Angeles bail bong agency."
-IMDB
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