Time for another space debris clearing action, me thinks
Sunday, 16 December, 2001, 06:21 GMT
Space station evades
debris
from:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1713000/1713416.stmThe space shuttle Endeavour had to delay its
undocking from the International Space Station
on Saturday when part of a 30-year-old Soviet
rocket threatened to collide with the orbiting
complex.
A large chunk of rocket was supposed to pass
within five kilometres (three miles) of the
space station on Sunday - uncomfortably close
for experts at Nasa.
They instructed the
shuttle pilots to steer
the station into a higher
orbit, creating a gap of
more than 60 kilometres
(40 miles) with the
debris.
The evasive action was
a success but the extra fuel needed meant the
shuttle had to shorten a fly-around of the
station for a photographic survey.
The shuttle is bringing home American
astronaut Frank Culbertson and his Russian
crewmates Mikhail Tyurin and Vladimir
Dezhurov who moved into the space station in
August.
Before leaving, Commander Culbertson gave
candy canes and a small fabric Christmas tree
to the new space station team.
Fourth team begins
"It has been a great ride, a great trip, and now
it is time to say goodbye," he said.
"We feel like we have accomplished a lot. We
feel our mission has been successful."
"However, the most important thing to
remember is the journey continues," he added.
The retired Navy
captain saluted his
successor, Russian Yuri
Onufrienko, and then
floated into the shuttle
for the ride home.
Fellow Navy officer
Daniel Bursch, part of
the new team, rang
the ship's bell and
called out in naval
fashion: "Expedition
Three, departing."
Together with astronaut Carl Walz, they will be
the fourth team to live on the space station,
returning to Earth in May.
Endeavour, which undocked 400 kilometres
(250 miles) above Australia, is due to land on
Monday but bad weather over Cape Canaveral
may keep it in orbit a day longer.
It had spent eight days at the space station,
delivering supplies and bringing back waste
items and old equipment.
Col. Lieve Peten, Commander MarsBase - Mailto:
[hidden email]
"That's what life is all about, I guess - The things we never say."
Cmdr. Ed Straker, UFO Series, Subsmash episode.
SHADO/UFO pages :
http://shado.simplenet.com/aspectsMarsBase/UFO:
http://shado.iwarp.com
Locked
