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Pat Duggins
Pat Duggins
Senior News Analyst
pduggins@wmfe.org


 

Columbus “sets sail”

 

February 12, 2008--- The ten-ton European built Columbus lab is in place on the International Space Station, and space boosters in Europe seem very relieved. Spacewalkers Rex Walheim and Stan Love, who stepped in for the ailing Hans Schlegel of Germany, attached a hand-hold on the module so the International Space Station’s arm could snap it on the outpost. The picture you see here is of a scale model at the Kennedy Space Center Press Center on launch day—Columbus is depicted as the compartment sticking out toward the upper righthand corner. Schlegel was pulled off the first spacewalk due an undefined medical issue, but was cleared for EVA #2. Representatives of the European Space Agency couldn’t hide their disappointment that two American spacewalkers did the work to help deliver Columbus.

 

Supporters of the Columbus lab are happy, if nothing else to placate the politicians among the ten countries that contributed to the funding and construction of the module. The lab was supposed to have been in orbit in 1992, for the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the New World. That was when the International Space Station was in its Cold War version known as Space Station Freedom. The hold-ups left people like ESA Astronaut Crister Fugelsang of Sweden having to explain to the money men what was going on. “They put all that money into the project,” says Fugelsang. “So, they ask why isn’t it up there?” Now, it is.

 

Columbus will operate for ten years to conduct experiments on solar energy and how humans react to the environment of space, among others. The next lab to go up is the three-part Japanese KIBO complex. The first section of that is set to be carried to orbit by Shuttle Endeavour in March.

 

I’m looking forward to talking about my book “Final Countdown” before a symposium of history teachers at the Orange County Regional History Center later this month. Thanks also to everyone to purchased copies of the book through amazon.com. The internet bookseller declared “Final Countdown” one of its most popular books bought as gifts for friends and family. It’s also on Scientific American’s book club, and here’s the link to an introductory offer for new members to SCIam…

 

http://www.sciambookclub.com/doc/full_site_enrollment/detail/fse_product_detail.jhtml?repositoryId=903808B450

 

On a totally different note, there’s a play about NASA being featured at the Festival of New Plays at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Orlando’s Loch Haven Park. Lucia and I went to see a production of “Opus” last week and Patrick Flick, the director of “Blue Sky Boys” came charging up to see if I was coming. (Why did he think I’d be interested in a play about NASA? ;) Oh well. The production continues through Saturday at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater—Forsooth!

 

More to come…

 

 

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