NationStates Jolt Archive

The bat, seen clinging to the external fuel tank of the Space Shuttle Discovery before its launch on Sunday, apparently clung for dear life to the side of the tank as the spaceship lifted off.

And what a ride.

The shuttle accelerates to an orbital velocity of 17,500 milers per hour, which is 25 times faster than the speed of sound, in just over eight minutes. That's zero to 100 mph in 10 seconds.

Did it make it into space? No one knows yet. But photos of Discovery as it cleared the launch tower showed a tiny speck on the side of the tank. When those photos were blown up, it became apparent that the speck was a bat.

Flight director Paul Dye said no one has seen the bat since.

"I heard that it was clinging to the tank at liftoff, but I don't think anyone has seen it since," he said.

Launch controllers spotted the bat after it had clawed onto the foam of the external tank as Discovery stood at Cape Canaveral's Launch Pad 39A.

The temperature never dropped below 60 degrees at that part of the tank, and infrared cameras showed that the bat was 70 degrees through the launch.

The final inspection team that surveys the outside of the shuttle and tank for signs of ice buildup hoped the bat would wake up and fly away before the shuttle engines ignited.

The bat is the one goofy moment in a mission that has been flawless so far -- at least after a few gliches forced the launch to be postponed.

STS 119 was delayed repeatedly while engineers struggled with hydrogen fuel control valves, and later, a hydrogen fuel leak, but the launch Sunday was flawless and the mission so far is going as planned.

Discovery docked to the International Space Station and later this week will install the final truss and solar arrays to give the orbiting lab more power, which will allow the crew to expand from three to six.
Linky (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=7107251)
So what does NSG think? Did the bat make it into space, did it fly away? What does rocket roasted bat even taste like?

Linky (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=7107251)
So what does NSG think? Did the bat make it into space, did it fly away? What does rocket roasted bat even taste like?

Crispy! They should have delayed the launch for the poor little bat... once the shuttle lifted off, it was two choices - freeze or fry. Poor thing. :p

Space Bats! :eek:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Alien Space Bats are real!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WIDWIDRICSAS!!!

:::runs in circles screaming and shouting:::

After a while you think it would fall off. May be the bat was trying to encourage us not to go.

"One toke? You poor fool! Wait till you see those goddamn bats."

-Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

It's probably dead. :(

What does rocket roasted bat even taste like?

http://www.dkimages.com/discover/previews/747/45919.JPG

After a while you think it would fall off. May be the bat was trying to encourage us not to go.

Maybe he knew something we didn't. Maybe the giant Space Moths are coming! :eek:

The bat will hurtle into space, eventually being discovered by an alien civilization which concludes that the bat was a chosen one, a messenger, and when they peruse our electromagnetic transmissions and learn of Batman, they travel to Earth to bring the One True Faith to the largely heretical human population.

It's probably dead. :(

:( Indeed Willy. Bats are pretty freaking awesome creatures...

:( Indeed Willy. Bats are pretty freaking awesome creatures...

It'd be awesome to have a pet bat. Esp. if you have problem with pests such as roaches and mice. *nods*

they travel to Earth to bring the One True Faith to the largely heretical human population.
So there is a sect of Batman worshippers...

So there is a sect of Batman worshippers...

Anything is possible. (http://templeofthejediforce.org/)

So there is a sect of Batman worshippers...

We will be the only ones spared orbital obliteration. All knees will bow to him, and his sufficiently advanced alien followers!

Anything is possible. (http://templeofthejediforce.org/)

I heard a while back that they had a member in the UK's parliament.

I heard a while back that they had a member in the UK's parliament.

Really?

Really?

Yep. It's been a couple years ago, but I distinctly remember that. I'm a Star Wars nut, as you may have noticed, so it kinda stuck with me.

Yep. It's been a couple years ago, but I distinctly remember that. I'm a Star Wars nut, as you may have noticed, so it kinda stuck with me.

Dammit...the Jedi's got into position of power before we did...

I may run for council for my city then.

Dammit...the Jedi's got into position of power before we did...

I may run for council for my city then.

You a Sith?

Linky (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=7107251)
So what does NSG think?

I think you messed up the title. It should have been "Bats in Spaaaaaace". At least that's how the announcer always pronounced Pigs in Space on the Muppets.

Yep. It's been a couple years ago, but I distinctly remember that. I'm a Star Wars nut, as you may have noticed, so it kinda stuck with me.

Shouldn't be surprising since in England and Wales there are at least 390,127 (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/rank/jedi.asp/) followers of the Jedi religion.

Linky (http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=7107251)
So what does NSG think? Did the bat make it into space, did it fly away? What does rocket roasted bat even taste like?

The article on CNN said it looked like it had a broken wing or something, so I doubt it made it. =(

They apparently had a bat on a shuttle before, but that one flew away just before liftoff.

Shouldn't be surprising since in England and Wales there are at least 390,127 (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/census2001/profiles/rank/jedi.asp/) followers of the Jedi religion.

Cool! England is the most well-defended place in the whole world!

Cool! England is the most well-defended place in the whole world!

Not really. Silly chavs try to act hard and then pull out their lightsabers, don't know how to use them. Next thing they know, they're down at the hospital getting a lecture on Lightsaber Safety.

You a Sith?

Yea, but I've since left Pope Palpatine Church! :D

Ba-Zing!

http://img232.echo.cx/img232/3440/popepalpatine3ct.png

I heard a while back that they had a member in the UK's parliament.

That has to be Lembit Opik,

That guys a loon.

I remember watching PMQs a few years back during some national crisis or other and her stood up and actually asked a question on what the UK was doing to prevent the earth from being hit by an asteroid. Even the other Lib Dem MPs pissed themselves laughing.

He got burnt up somewhere along the way I bet. Was just tired and needed a rest, poor bat.

aww - http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20090318/sc_space/bathungonforarideintospace

"He did change the direction he was pointing from time to time throughout countdown but ultimately never flew away,"

"Based on images and video, a wildlife expert who provides support to the center said the small creature was a free tail bat that likely had a broken left wing and some problem with its right shoulder or wrist," =(

"The bat eventually became 'Interim Problem Report 119V-0080' after the ICE team finished their walkdown," the memo said. "Systems Engineering and Integration performed a debris analysis on him and ultimately a Launch Commit Criteria waiver to ICE-01 was written to accept the stowaway."

I remember watching PMQs a few years back during some national crisis or other and her stood up and actually asked a question on what the UK was doing to prevent the earth from being hit by an asteroid. Even the other Lib Dem MPs pissed themselves laughing.
Well, if someone has to be willing to ask the hard questions, than someone else has to be willing to ask the ones that are bat shit insane. It is only logic.

Anyway, I hope the Japanese are getting prepared. After the bat is exposed to space radiation and becomes several hundred times larger and more powerful, experience dictates that its first stop upon returning to Earth will be Tokyo.

This is the true origin of Batman. He's a mutant bat due to solar radiation, and I doubt he's a "good guy"

Well, if someone has to be willing to ask the hard questions, than someone else has to be willing to ask the ones that are bat shit insane. It is only logic.

Anyway, I hope the Japanese are getting prepared. After the bat is exposed to space radiation and becomes several hundred times larger and more powerful, experience dictates that its first stop upon returning to Earth will be Tokyo.

Break out Godzilla!!!

Well, if someone has to be willing to ask the hard questions, than someone else has to be willing to ask the ones that are bat shit insane. It is only logic.

Anyway, I hope the Japanese are getting prepared. After the bat is exposed to space radiation and becomes several hundred times larger and more powerful, experience dictates that its first stop upon returning to Earth will be Tokyo.


:eek:

" Coincidentally, an astronaut aboard that flight, Koichi Wakata of Japan, also flew on Discovery this week, making him the first spaceflyer to share two rides with bats. "

I was kind of surprised that I didn't see this image linked earlier. I guess it's not as well-known as I thought.

http://www.shortpacked.com/comics/20050131a.gif

Edit: Actually, maybe it would be better to just put the link.