February 16, 2008

• Shuttle

  Columbus lab is opened on the ISS

  HOUSTON (UPI) — U.S. and European Space Agency astronauts officially opened the ESA’s newly installed Columbus laboratory Tuesday aboard the International Space Station.
  
  Space shuttle Atlantis’ STS-122 crew and the ISS’s Expedition 16 crew members opened the lab’s doors at 9:08 a.m. EST and began transferring supplies and equipment into the laboratory. The Columbus module was installed on the ISS at 3:44 p.m. EST Monday during the first of three scheduled spacewalks.
  
  Expedition 16 crew members Leopold Eyharts of the European Space Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Peggy Whitson were to have been the first to officially enter Columbus during a ceremonial event. But NASA controllers in Houston said the ceremony was canceled when the space station and shuttle crews worked days ahead of their schedule and began activating systems.
  
  Full activation of the lab isn’t expected for approximately two weeks, NASA said.
  
  Following Tuesday’s work, STS-122 astronauts Rex Walheim and Hans Schlegel of the ESA were to “camp out” in the station’s Quest Airlock to become acclimated for Wednesday’s spacewalk, scheduled to begin at 9:35 a.m. EST.
  

  A Fishing Lure

  A couple of young boys were fishing at their special pond off the beaten track. All of a sudden, the Game Warden jumped out of the bushes.
  
  Immediately, one of the boys threw his rod down and started running through the woods. The Game Warden was hot on his heels.
  
  After about a half mile, the young man stopped and stooped over with his hands on his thighs to catch his breath, so the Game Warden finally caught up to him.
  
  “Let’s see yer fishin’ license, Boy!” The Warden gasped.
  
  With that, the boy pulled out his wallet and gave the Game Warden a valid fishing license.
  
  “Well, son,” said the Game Warden. “You must be about as dumb as a box of rocks! You don’t have to run from me if you have a valid license!”
  
  “Yes, sir,” replied the young guy. “But my friend back there, well, he don’t have one.”

  • 7:31 am
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