Yes, October 12, 2002, is the day I laid him away. He was 17 years old.
NEWS
Telescope 'backplane' successfully tested
U.S. scientists say the "spine" of the James Webb Space Telescope
has become the largest structure ever tested in freezing
conditions. The support, called the backplane, was tested at
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Marshall
Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., to make sure it won't
move in the extreme cold conditions of space. Researchers said
the test showed the backplane's movements were so small they
were measured in nanometers. The structure will support the
two-story high telescope that will involve 10 different
technologies when it is launched in 2013. The backplane was
tested in temperatures as low as minus 405 degrees Fahrenheit
in a special vacuum chamber at Marshall's X-Ray Calibration
Facility. All of the telescope's technologies must pass the
same test to ensure they can work in space. The Northrop Grumman
Corp. is leading the team that is designing and building the
telescope under a contract with NASA.
If you want not to cry, don’t read it.
I'm getting on in years
My coat is turning grey
My eyes have lost their luster,
My hearing...just OK.
I spend my whole day dreaming
Of conquests of my past
Lying near a sunny window,
Waiting for its warm repast.
"I remember our first visit"
I was coming to you free,
Hoping you would take me in
And keep my company.
I wasn't young or handsome.
Two years I'd roamed the streets.
There were scars on my face,
I hobbled on my feet.
I could see your disappointment...
As I left my prison cage,
Oh, I hoped you would accept me
And look beyond my age.
You took me out of pity,
I accepted, without shame.
Then you grew to love me.
"I admit the same."
I have shared with you your laughter,
You have wet my coat with tears.
We've come to know each other,
Throughout these many years
Just ONE more hug this morning...
Before you drive away...
And know I'll think about you
Throughout your busy day!
The time we've left together is a treasured time at that,
My heart is yours forever, I Promise....
This old cat.
--KC (sievert) Bingamon--
"For Misty-Dawn 1998"