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Did Bat Hitch a Ride to Space?
ABC News ^ | March 17, 2009 | GINA SUNSERI

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 ...


TOPICS: Astronomy; Pets/Animals; Science; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: bat; batman; batpoopcrazy; gothistonguestuck; peta; spaceshuttle
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Holy clingon!
1 posted on 03/17/2009 10:59:01 PM PDT by americanophile
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To: americanophile

2 posted on 03/17/2009 11:01:06 PM PDT by americanophile
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To: americanophile

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


3 posted on 03/17/2009 11:03:15 PM PDT by GeronL (....and I won't let it happen again!)
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To: americanophile

That is the bravest bat EVER!


4 posted on 03/17/2009 11:07:12 PM PDT by stormer
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To: GeronL

It’s a moon-bat now...


5 posted on 03/17/2009 11:07:16 PM PDT by null and void (We are now in day 57 of our national holiday from reality.)
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To: GeronL

Bats make no sense. My guess it was trying to hitch a ride back to its home planet.


6 posted on 03/17/2009 11:07:57 PM PDT by Carling ("We've lost two people in my family because you dickheads won't cut trees down," - Warwick Spooner)
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To: null and void; al baby

or a pile of BRD


7 posted on 03/17/2009 11:08:13 PM PDT by GeronL (....and I won't let it happen again!)
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To: null and void

8 posted on 03/17/2009 11:13:04 PM PDT by Salamander (Like acid and oil on a madman's face, reason tends to fly away.......)
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To: Carling

“Bats make no sense.”

Ergo, our comparison of them to liberals.


9 posted on 03/17/2009 11:13:53 PM PDT by Salamander (Like acid and oil on a madman's face, reason tends to fly away.......)
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To: GeronL

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.


10 posted on 03/17/2009 11:15:36 PM PDT by americanophile
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To: americanophile
I hope he grabbed a bite before he left...


11 posted on 03/17/2009 11:16:57 PM PDT by stormer
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To: americanophile

“so it’s not like it is actually on the shuttle”

Or so it would have you believe.

/cue sinister music


12 posted on 03/17/2009 11:17:45 PM PDT by Salamander (Like acid and oil on a madman's face, reason tends to fly away.......)
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To: Salamander
"Ergo, our comparison of them to liberals."

I beg to differ. Bats serve a useful purpose. Liberals don't.

13 posted on 03/17/2009 11:20:54 PM PDT by blackbart.223 (I live in Northern Nevada. Reid doesn't represent me.)
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To: blackbart.223

I’m not the one who said they “make no sense”.

I love bats.

[rabid ones being the exception]


14 posted on 03/17/2009 11:25:09 PM PDT by Salamander (Like acid and oil on a madman's face, reason tends to fly away.......)
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To: americanophile

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!)


15 posted on 03/17/2009 11:32:18 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici (Yes, Gorbachev is better than Obama. At least Gorbachev admitted he was a Communist)
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To: KevinDavis

space bat ping!


16 posted on 03/17/2009 11:43:17 PM PDT by bamahead (Few men desire liberty; most men wish only for a just master. -- Sallust)
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To: bamahead

17 posted on 03/17/2009 11:46:16 PM PDT by stormer
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To: Salamander
"I love bats."

So do I. I also like snakes and tarantulas. I guess I'm a little weird.

18 posted on 03/17/2009 11:53:16 PM PDT by blackbart.223 (I live in Northern Nevada. Reid doesn't represent me.)
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To: null and void

Mulder .. Sculley ... Get IN here !


19 posted on 03/17/2009 11:59:28 PM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true.)
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To: Salamander
I love bats. [rabid ones being the exception]

Rabid ones are the best kind!

20 posted on 03/18/2009 12:00:45 AM PDT by SIDENET (President Obama's teleprompter has issued a stern warning to corporate executives)
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