Posted on 03/17/2009 10:59:01 PM PDT by americanophile
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
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
well, somewhere along the line it probably let go... would it get fried by a rocket engine.... hhhmmmm fried bat.... or would it just fly away?
I seriously doubt it would go all the way to space and burn up on re-entry
That is the bravest bat EVER!
It’s a moon-bat now...
Bats make no sense. My guess it was trying to hitch a ride back to its home planet.
or a pile of BRD
“Bats make no sense.”
Ergo, our comparison of them to liberals.
Yes, it almost certainly took or fell off at some point...the external fuel tank itself finally falls back to earth, so it’s not like it is actually on the shuttle. Funny story though.
“so it’s not like it is actually on the shuttle”
Or so it would have you believe.
/cue sinister music
I beg to differ. Bats serve a useful purpose. Liberals don't.
I’m not the one who said they “make no sense”.
I love bats.
[rabid ones being the exception]
Maybe he watched too many Roadrunner episodes.
You gotta wonder what he was thinking as Discovery climbed (oh crap! I had to pick NOW to take a breather!)
space bat ping!
So do I. I also like snakes and tarantulas. I guess I'm a little weird.
Mulder .. Sculley ... Get IN here !
Rabid ones are the best kind!
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