We Have . . . Countdown

This is just one example of how George Dub would make a horrible NASA administator. Dude's got no patience for doing the right thing regardless of what what it is that he wants.

I wouldn't consider it my problem if he wasn't freakin' one of the most powerful human beings in history*. Loser.

After problems in previous flights with the sensor, NASA created a new rule requiring a stand-down of 24 hours when one of the hydrogen tank's four engine cutoff sensors doesn't work properly; such a delay would allow engineers to gather more data on the problem.

"We had a lot of discussion. ... We follow the rules," launch director Mike Leinbach radioed Atlantis' crew, notifying them about the scrub. "Ought to feel good that we did that."

Huh? Was that a jab at our Preznit? Nahhh... I'm sure it's just my grubby li'l librul mind goin' off on another Snipe Hunt.

But still . . . {{ :-/

"We understand. We concur 100 percent," responded Atlantis' commander, Brent Jett. "It's the right thing to do."

A large number of managers favored flying, but opposition to launching was led by NASA's flight crew operations director.

Shuttle program manager Wayne Hale said top officials "decided staying with the plan ... was the prudent thing to do."

Kinda sounds like what Dubya's Daddy said about Sadamn back in the day.

Hhmmm...

Aboard Atlantis is one of the heaviest payloads ever carried into space — 17 1/2 tons of girders that will be added to the half-built space station. It includes two solar arrays that will produce electricity for the orbiting outpost.

Atlantis' crew members will make three spacewalks during the 11-day mission to install the $372 million addition.

They gotta get this station built already. There're just too many stupid little maintenance needs that aren't being met because the money for 'em is smolderin' in Iraq.

Two things stuck out for me in the article, the first shouldn't even be an issue 'cept for the budget. "...(A) glitch with a 30-year-old motor in an electricity-generating fuel cell" which should've been replaced before the Shuttle even left the barn the first try, and the situation where there's still only one Docking Port. That's keepin' there from being more than one mission at a time. Construction would proceed significantly faster if the construction crews didn't have to wait on each others' ships to get outta the way.

'Course, that pace is still essentially dictated by each nation's own Budget. . . Every nation has its political priorities which determine how much cache they'll get from a project like ISS construction, and that's what decides 'em on how much cash it "needs".

At any rate ... While we're waiting for the Launch this morning, my Boo Grrl sent me something to keep me from gettin' bored. It's a hekk of a lot better than goin' up and down 5 flights of stairs to do 2 loads o' laundry, but I gots to be doin' that as well.

Enjoy this part anyhow, eh. {-;

* Just like any other President of the US since F.D.R.

For now anyway . . .