DailyTech - International Space Updates, February 2007

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Science International Space Updates, February 2007
Michael Hoffman (Blog) - February 8, 2007 2:16 PM

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15 comment(s) - last by Seemonkeyscanf.. on Feb 14 at 2:14 PM

An explosion and something else that seems to be something straight out of Jerry Springer

SES New Skies publicly announced the launch failure of the Boeing-built NSS-8, a satellite supposed to be the sixth in its New Skies fleet, after the Zenith-3SL launch vehicle it was onboard erupted into flames. Sea Launch has officially described the explosion of the satellite once countdown reached zero as "an anomaly."

The Odyssey Launch Platform left the equator to return to Sea Launch Home Port in Long Beach California, after the launch vehicle for the NSS-8 exploded violently on the launch pad. The main structures on the Odyssey are in "good condition" and Sea Launch will begin developing strategies to get the launch platform back in functioning condition. The construction of NSS-9 for launch in 2009 has already been started by SES New Skies.

You can see a video of the failed launch on YouTube by clicking here.

Navy Captain Lisa Nowak, an astronaut who had the opportunity to fly to the International Space Station last July, has been charged with a number of crimes, including attempted kidnapping, attempted vehicle burglary with battery, battery, attempted murder, and destruction of evidence.

Her obsession with a fellow astronaut led her to drive more than 900 miles from Houston to Orlando so she would be able to confront a woman she perceived as a romantic rival for the heart of astronaut William Oefelein. If the 900-mile journey wasn't odd enough, Nowak did it wearing diapers, with a BB gun, steel mallet, a folding knife and pepper spray. She ultimately attacked Air Force Capt. Colleen Shipman with pepper spray, according to police.

Shipman will try to remain out of the public eye while located at Johnson AFB. NASA stated that they will begin reviewing screening procedures for astronauts.

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Get right on that, will ya?

By masher2

(blog) on 2/8/2007 7:54:53 PM , Rating: 3

> "NASA stated that they will begin reviewing screening procedures for astronauts..."

How exactly does one screen for a predisposition to don diapers and drive halfway across the country to attack people with BB guns?

RE: Get right on that, will ya?

By stromgald on 2/8/2007 8:29:07 PM , Rating: 2

I kindof agree, it's impossible to screen out people like that. You can try, but someone will always slip through. Astronauts go through a ton of tests for mental toughness/stability in addition to all the physical tests they go through. Having NASA go through and review these tests to possibly make them 'better' is a waste of time.

I bet the average Astronaut probably gets a psychological exam annualy when they're preparing to fly and probably right before and right after each mission. Just because one nutcase slipped through the cracks doesn't mean we should do more testing or even change testing.

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RE: Get right on that, will ya?

By Tsuwamono on 2/8/2007 9:35:44 PM , Rating: 2

Actually most of the screening is to make sure that astronauts want to come back. they had that trouble with the first set sent to space. they didnt want to come back home because its so beautiful up there. I know for sure i wouldnt pass the screening because as soon as they told me to come back i would tell them to bite my ass.

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RE: Get right on that, will ya?

By Ringold on 2/8/2007 11:01:32 PM , Rating: 3

Until you started to ponder what would kill you first:

1) Lack of water
2) Lack of heat
3) Lack of oxygen
4) Lack of food (in case waste is recycled)
5) Uncontrolled entry upon exhaustion of fuel

At some point I'd imagine most rational people would consider controlled re-entry and return to family to be rather appealing.. I'm not sure what resource would fail first, the ability to provide heat or the continued ability to scrub CO2, but neither sound appealing.

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RE: Get right on that, will ya?

By iNGEN on 2/9/2007 11:36:18 AM , Rating: 2

Even if some libby disagrees and thinks NASA should somehow be responsible for not predicting this kind of behavior, ask Masher2 asked, how do you test for something like that? What do you, measure Galvanic skin response while displaying pictures of BB-gun toting women wearing diapers attacking women in USAF uniforms with pepperspray?

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RE: Get right on that, will ya?

By angryhippy on 2/9/2007 11:57:27 AM , Rating: 2

quote:
Even if some libby disagrees and thinks NASA should somehow be responsible for not predicting this kind of behavior, ask Masher2 asked, how do you test for something like that?

Hey now, I'm a "libby", we're not all nut jobs, I'm only one part time. :-)

But seriously, she was a mom and astronaut in a love triangle, there's got to be some stress involved. I probably would have cracked and started wearing diapers long before her! :-) I really doubt NASA can predict 100% who will crack. I'm impressed more astronauts haven't gone nuts. I hope the law is not too hard on her since nobody really got hurt, hopefully some therapy will help her a bit. Her astronaut career is obviously over, but the humiliation and some probation is probably enough.

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RE: Get right on that, will ya?

By Misty Dingos on 2/13/2007 9:27:14 AM , Rating: 2

Nope astronauts do not get annual psyche exams. Can you screen out the looneys? Yes and no. The Air Force runs a personnel reliability program on anyone that has his or her fingers into anything dangerous or sensitive. I think it is time to send NASA the hand book for that.

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RE: Get right on that, will ya?

By Brassbullet on 2/9/2007 4:40:03 PM , Rating: 2

When I originally heard of this I didn't think too much of it. I mean, attacking a rival is nothing unusual, its quite normal to want or do that.

However, when hearing about the diapers, that sealed it, she's crazy.

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RE: Get right on that, will ya?

By Seemonkeyscanfly on 2/14/2007 2:14:14 PM , Rating: 1

You all are not thinking this through...Sorry to say that. Behind the closed doors NASA is saying: all of our training and she only did x% correct. Think about it, who would wear adult diapers (minus medical issues)? Why Astronauts... Hello 5 to 10 hour space walks. You don't hear in mission hour number 6, Hey Bob, I need to go back inside and take a leak. Again Steve? Man we’ll never get this done. No they are trained to wear diapers or something very similar on long missions. So they are saying good she knew it was a long task and put on the correct equipment. Now were they failed in training was teacher her to use or pick the correct equipment to do the job...bb gun, pepper spray...there must be much better items out there to get rid of a person. There is no better way to study how well you trained someone then watching them “crack up". Of course one does not have this opportunity very often and really no one wants to see someone else "crack up". So, making a big deal about wear diapers just means you not thinking about the life style and training the astronauts go through.
No I’m not justifying her actions in anyway; I just think people need to lay off the diapers. Would you say a professional racecar driver was nuts because he put on some driving gloves to drive his street car? No, it’s what he’s use to…She off the deep end because she drove 900 miles to kill someone and in all that time thinking to herself she did not stop, turn around and say this is stupid.

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Choose the way of the Jedi

By outsider on 2/8/2007 6:16:27 PM , Rating: 3

Love leads to fear of loss, fear leads to hate, hate leads to suffering and suffering leads to satellite explosion. May The Force be with you.

RE: Choose the way of the Jedi

By Obujuwami on 2/9/2007 11:27:19 AM , Rating: 2

Thanks Yoda!

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satellite info

By hellokeith on 2/8/2007 7:20:17 PM , Rating: 2

Looks like this is bad for the eastern hemisphere:

"With a planned 56 C-band and 36 Ku-band transponders, NSS-8 will be one of the largest and most powerful satellites with coverage of Europe, the Middle East, India, Africa and Asia."

RE: satellite info

By stromgald on 2/8/2007 7:34:47 PM , Rating: 2

It just means bandwidth won't improve for New Skies customers in the Eastern Hemisphere until 2009-2010 when NSS-9 is launched. At least New Skies had the foresight to launch their satellite two years before it was really needed (to replace NSS 703). They should have enough time to get another one up there before they deorbit NSS 703 in 2009.

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