Engineers Count More Than 100 Dings On Orbiter -- That's About
Average
As the STS-114 astronauts were getting a big "welcome home!" at
the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX, engineers in the Mojave
Desert were counting the dents and dings on Discovery. It's not
that there were any more than usual -- 101, 20 of which measured
more than an inch in either length or diameter -- it's just that,
in the wake of the Columbia tragedy, everybody's counting.
The X PRIZE Foundation has announced the appointment of Michael
S. Kelly as Vice President of the Foundation. Mr. Kelly will be
responsible for all engineering, safety and operational activities
associated with the annual X PRIZE CUP & PERSONAL SPACEFLIGHT
EXPO, a partnership of the X PRIZE Foundation and the state of New
Mexico.
NASA says the space agency, along with industry partners, are
flight testing new technologies to see if they can make aircraft
quieter. Scalloped edges on engine exteriors and toboggan-like
fittings on landing gear are some of the high tech ideas being
tested to reduce aircraft noise.
Blazing hot temperatures welcomed ESA’s Venus Express
spacecraft as it arrived at the Yubileiny airport of the Baikonur
cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, over the weekend.
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