By Jonathan Amos
Science reporter, BBC News, Kennedy Space Center |
  | Atlantis, with Columbus in its cargo bay, climbs skyward |
The space shuttle Atlantis has been successfully launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The orbiter is taking Europe's Columbus science laboratory to the International Space Station (ISS). Despite concern throughout the day that cloud, showers and winds might scrub the launch, the weather cleared at the right time to allow a smooth lift-off. The Columbus module is Europe's major contribution to the science endeavours on the orbiting platform. A delighted European Space Agency (Esa) chief, Jean Jacques Dordain, was present to see the launch. "It's a great day for Esa," he said. "Columbus discovered a new world, and I think that with Columbus we are discovering a totally new world," he added. "From now on, Esa becomes a visible and concrete partner of the space station." Columbus is the first segment of the ISS that Europe will control, through a ground station in Germany. Its installation will mean Esa becomes a full member of the orbital project and gains "rights" to positions on the platform for European astronauts. In the short term that means one six-month residency every two years. Advancing science Once the 1.3bn-euro ($1.8bn; £0.9) lab is in place, an intensive programme of research in weightless surroundings will begin. | The Esa boss has been working on Columbus for some 20 years |
The scientific studies will impact diverse fields, from crop breeding to the development of advanced alloys. The experiments will also help researchers better understand the physiological demands of long-duration spaceflight, something that will be important if humans are ever to colonise the Moon or travel to Mars. Columbus will be installed on Day Four of the mission. The 7m-long (24ft), 4.5m-wide (14ft), 12.8-tonne laboratory will be manoeuvred into position by the shuttle's robotic arm, and docked to the station's Harmony Node 2 connector. Hans Schlegel, the German Esa astronaut on the flight, will play a key role in this process, carrying out two spacewalks to get the job done. Esa colleague Leopold Eyharts will be staying on the station to commission Columbus, a process that should take a few weeks to complete fully. Surface inspection The launch proved to be an extremely satisfying day for the US space agency (Nasa), which saw a faulty fuel sensor system on the orbiter thwart its attempts to launch Columbus in December. | COLUMBUS FACTS Total length - 6.8m Diameter - 4.5m Volume - 75 cu m Launch mass - 12.8t Operation - 3 crew Cabin temp - 16-27C Total power - 20kW |
And stormy weather to the northwest of Kennedy on Thursday threatened to spoil the latest campaign, with, at one point, meteorologists reporting a 70% probability that conditions would lead to another "no go". But with under 15 minutes to the scheduled launch time of 1445 EST (1945 GMT), winds that for much of the day had been outside the permitted strength in the flight regulations suddenly relented. Nasa will confirm that Atlantis made a truly flawless ascent only after engineers have had time to check imagery of the lift-off. An initial examination of pictures showed at least three pieces of foam falling off the shuttle's external tank, but it is not thought these damaged the ship in anyway. Atlantis astronauts will also conduct their own survey of the shuttle's external surfaces to confirm the vehicle's integrity. Retirement timeline Nasa is confident it now has the shuttle system working well after encountering no major technical issues with the vehicle during Thursday's launch campaign. The agency hopes to fly another five missions this year - four more to the space station and one to service the Hubble telescope. Beyond Columbus, 11 flights in total are required to finish the ISS - a target Nasa believes is achievable by its deadline to retire the shuttles at the end of 2010. "We just take each flight at a time and see what we get from the hardware and the vehicle," said Bill Gerstenmaier, Nasa's spaceflight chief. "We've got margin in the overall schedule, but we'll do the right thing." Atlantis is due to dock with the ISS on Saturday. Its return to Earth is planned for Monday, 18 February. The orbiter will be bringing back US astronaut and long-stay ISS resident Dan Tani in Leopold Eyharts' seat. Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk
* FEBRUARY 9, 2008 * Shuttle docks with Space Station
* | | Columbus will be the site of an intensive research programme |
Space shuttle Atlantis has docked at the International Space Station (ISS), where it is to deliver Europe's Columbus science laboratory. Columbus is the first part of the ISS that the European Space Agency will control, from a station in Germany. Its installation will mean Esa becomes a full member of the orbital project. The Columbus laboratory cost about $2bn and has room for three researchers in fields ranging from crop breeding to the development of advanced alloys. Inspection Before docking, the crew guided Atlantis in a back-flip manoeuvre that will allow crew on the space station to photograph the shuttle's protective heat-resistant tiles. | COLUMBUS FACTS Total length - 6.8m Diameter - 4.5m Volume - 75 cu m Launch mass - 12.8t Operation - 3 crew Cabin temp - 16-27C Total power - 20kW |
Engineers on earth will check for any possible damage that may have been done to the tiles during take-off: a routine safety measure since the shuttle Columbia disintegrated on re-entering the earth's atmosphere in 2003. The 7m-long (24ft), 4.5m-wide (14ft), 12.8-tonne laboratory will be manoeuvred into position by the shuttle's robotic arm, and docked to the station's Harmony Node 2 connector. Hans Schlegel, the German Esa astronaut on the flight, will play a key role in this process, carrying out two spacewalks to get the job done. Esa colleague Leopold Eyharts will be staying on the station to commission Columbus, a process that should take a few weeks to complete fully. Atlantis was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Thursday, and is due to return to earth on Monday. Once the lab is in place, an intensive programme of research in weightless surroundings will begin. The experiments will also help researchers better understand the physiological demands of long-duration spaceflight, something that will be important if humans are ever to colonise the Moon or travel to Mars. 
ONE SMALL STEP FOR WOMAN WHO WILL BE THE FIRST FEMALE CELEBRITY TO FLY IN SPACE AND TAKE THE FIRST STEPS ON THE SURFACE OF OUR MOON?....FOR LUNA MAY YET TURN OUT TO BE THE SAVING GRACE OF OUR PLANET.....MOTHER EARTH! THE PRINCESS OF POP MAY BE BI-POLAR BUT LIKE ME SHE MAY YET FIND A FRIEND AND USE HER CREATIVITY TO ONCE AGAIN RISE TO THE TOP AND NOT LET THE VULTURES PREY ON HER ABILITY TO ONCE AGAIN IGNIGHT A FLAME OF PASSION IN THE HEARTS OF HER DISNEY CREW...... MAY HER WINGS ONCE AGAIN SPREAD TO OVERCOME A STIGMA THAT HAS YET TO BE UNDERSTOOD BY THOSE IN THE PUBLIC EYE AND THOSE CREATIVE ARTISTS WHO HAVE OVERCOME THIS STIGMA AND BROUGHT THE WORLD MANY OF IT"S GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS (SEE THE LIST BELOW) STAY STONG BRIT AND YOU MAY FIND THERE ARE OTHERS LIKE ME WHO SHARE YOU 'ILLNESS" AND STILL BELIEVE THAT YOU WILL LEAD US BACK TO THE COSMOS AS THE "STARS" ON EARTH CONTINUE TO PLAY THEIR HEARTACHE GAMES. WE STILL NEED A WOMAN TO WALK ON THE MOON...AND WITH THE HELP OF MADONNA.....WE MAY FIND THAT MY REALITY PLAY MAY HAVE A LEADING ROLE FOR YOU.... SOMEWHERE......THE REALITY PLAY.....WILL GIVE YOU STRENGTH......IF YOU CONTINUE TO READ MY WORDS....YOU MAY SEE YOURSELF AS A PRINCESS ONCE AGAIN! Spears' father 'can fire manager' |  Ms Spears' father has been given control over her estate |
Singer Britney Spears' father has been given the power to fire her business manager, according to court documents. Court commissioner Reva Goetz also said James Spears was entitled to see all her manager's "documents, records and assets relating to Britney Spears". But Howard Grossman refused to say if he had been fired by Mr Spears. Ms Spears was admitted to the psychiatric ward of a Los Angeles hospital on 31 January, but left on Wednesday, against her parents' wishes. Her father was granted control of her estate last week, an arrangement which lasts until Thursday. Emergency hearing Ms Goetz made her decision on Friday following an emergency hearing requested by Mr Spears. | BRITNEY'S UNHAPPY 2008 3 January: Carried away on a stretcher after police were called in a custody dispute 5 January: Barred from seeing children 31 January: Taken to psychiatric ward by ambulance 1 February: Father James given control of her estate 5 February: Restraining order placed on Sam Lutfi 6 February: Released early from hospital (above) 8 February: Father can fire business manager, court says |
It followed a statement issued by the 26-year-old singer's parents about her early release from the UCLA Medical Center, in which they said her life was at risk. "We ask only that the court's orders be enforced so that a tragedy may be averted," they said. Mr Grossman arrived at the Los Angeles courtroom, but he and others were told to leave. Her mother, Lynne, obtained a restraining order against Sam Lutfi, a frequent companion and sometime manager, on Tuesday after claiming Mr Lutfi had drugged the singer, taken over her finances, and had told her he "controlled" Mr Grossman. But Mr Grossman said he had no association with Mr Lutfi, and would not say how long he had worked with Ms Spears. "My reputation speaks for itself," he said. Public breakdowns Meanwhile, lawyers who have represented Ms Spears in her child custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline have filed papers in Los Angeles Superior Court asking to leave the case. Ms Spears' life has been in a tailspin since she filed for divorce from Mr Federline in 2006. Incidents of bizarre behaviour, erratic driving and public breakdowns have been recorded by the swarm of photographers which follow her, and she has lost custody and visitation rights to her two sons. She was taken to hospital early last month after police were called to her home following a custody dispute.
Here is a list of famous people or celebs with bipolar disorder. Famous People with Bipolar A - G Buzz Aldrin (astronaut) Adam Ant (musician) Ludwig van Beethoven (composer) Tim Burton (artist, director) Dick Cavett (television journalist) Winston Churchill (politician) Charles Dickens (author) DMX, Dark Man X (Earl Simmons) (musician, actor) Robert Downey Jr. (actor) Richardy Dreyfuss (actor) Patty Duke (actress) Ralph Waldo Emerson (author) Carrie Fisher (Actress, writer) Larry Flynt (publisher, activist) Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (Writer) Connie Francis (singer) Stephen Fry (actor, comedian writer) Peter Gabriel (musician) Alan Garner (novelist) Matthew Good (musician) Philip Graham (publisher, businessman) Macy Gray (musician, actor) Graham Greene (English Novelist) Ivor Gurney (English composer, poet) Famous People with Bipolar H - R Alexander Hamilton (politican) Linda Hamilton (actress) Mariette Hartley (actress) Jimi Hendrix (musician) Ernest Hemingway (writer) Hermann Hesse (writer) Abbie Hoffman (political activist) Kay Redfield Jamison (clinical psychologist) Daniel Johnston (musician) Chris Kanyon (wrestler) John Keats (poet) Rep Patrick J. Kennedy (politician) Otto Klemperer (conductor) Margot Kidder (actress) Patrick Kroupa (writer, hacker) Vivien Leigh (actress) Jennifer Lewis (actress) Kristy McNicol (actress) Kate Millett (author) Spike Milligan (comedian, writer) Ben Moody (musician) John A. Mulheren (businessman, philanthropist) Edvard Munch (artist) Isaac Newston (scientist, mathematician) Florence Nightingale (nurse) Snéad O'Connor (musician) Susan M. Olmetti (artist) Ozzy Osbourne (singer) Cheri Oteri (actress) Jane Pauley (TV Journalist) Jimmy Piersail (baseball player) Jaco Pastorius (musician) Edgar Allan Poe (poet, writer) Charlie Pride (musician) Emil Post (mathematician) Barret Robbins (NFL football player) Axl Rose (singer) Theodore Roosevelt (President) Famous People with Bipolar S - Z Cynthia M. Sabotka (author) Robert Schumann (composer) Nina Simone (singer) Britney Spears (musician) Michael Spensieri (lawyer, politician) Robert Louis Stevenson (author) Ben Stiller (actor) Sidney Sheldon (producer, writer) Darryl Strawberry (baseball player) Sting (Gordon Sumner) (actor, musician) Sara Teasdale (poet) Devin Towsend (musician) Nick Traina (singer) Timothy Treadwell (environmentalist) Margaret Trudeau (former spouse of politician) Ted Turner (businessman) Mark Twain (author) Jean-Claude Vn Damme (actor) Vincent Van Gogh (artist) Kurt Vonnegut (author) Scott Weiland (musician) Robin Williams (actor) Brian Wilson (musician) Virginia Woolf (poet, novelist) References Bipolar Disorder Today
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back | Celebs with Depression top . send to friend . bipolar site map FEBRUARY 14, 2008 HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!! Ministers consider UK astronauts | By Pallab Ghosh
Science correspondent, BBC News |
 The UK has historically opted out of manned space exploration |
The UK government is to launch a formal review into whether British astronauts should take part in the international exploration of space. The review has been prompted by growing fears that the UK might lose out in the next wave of space travel. International space agencies have set out ambitious plans in a document called the Global Exploration Strategy. Science Minister Ian Pearson said space was "increasingly important" and worth £7bn to the British economy. Costs and benefits The British National Space Centre (BNSC) said in the new UK Civil Space Strategy published on Thursday: "In 1986, the UK chose not to participate in human space missions. "The publication of the Global Exploration Strategy provides a suitable point to review this decision." The BNSC will study the options, taking into account the scientific, technological and economic costs and benefits, and report to Innovation Secretary John Denham. Mr Pearson said: "This strategy sets out measures to increase the UK's share of this growing international sector." The review is expected to take between six and 12 months. The UK has historically opted out of manned space exploration, and spent its limited space budget on detailed scientific missions involving robotic probes. The new strategy also unveils plans for a new European Space Agency (Esa) facility to be based at Harwell, Oxfordshire, which will focus on climate change, robotic space exploration and applications. The upcoming Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) initiative is expected to make an important contribution to our understanding of global warming and its impacts. But the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) took a small share in the project, which will draw together environment and security data from earth observation satellites and the ground. The move surprised some observers, particularly given the government's vocal stance on tackling climate change. But the BNSC is now in discussions with Defra to explore options for raising Britain's stake in the initiative. British mission Meanwhile, in another development, Nasa is due to give its formal backing in a report to a British-led £100m mission to the Moon. FEBRUARY 17, 2008 |  | Shuttle Astronauts Cast Off From Space Station
By Tariq Malik
Senior Editor
posted: 18 February 2008
6:36 am ET
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HOUSTON - The shuttle Atlantis and its seven-astronaut crew castoff from the International Space Station (ISS) early Monday to begin the trip home after adding a new European module to the orbiting laboratory. Atlantis undocked from the space station at 4:24 a.m. EST (0924 GMT) as the two spacecraft flew 219 miles (354 km) above eastern New Zealand. "We just wanted to thank you again for being a great host and letting us enjoy your station for about a week," Atlantis commander Steve Frick told station commander Peggy Whitson. "We had a great time over there." Frick and his crewmates delivered the European Space Agency's (ESA) Columbus laboratory and a new crewmember to the ISS during almost nine days docked at the station. They are also returning U.S. astronaut Dan Tani back to Earth after nearly four months stationed aboard the ISS. "Well, thank you guys," said Whitson, who rang the station's bell to mark Atlantis' departure. "It is a great new room you have added on and we really appreciate it. Get Dan home safe and thanks." Atlantis is due to land in Florida early Wednesday to complete its 13-day spaceflight. Station astronaut heads home Atlantis ferried ESA astronaut Leopold Eyharts of France to the ISS, where he replaced Tani as a member of the station's Expedition 16 crew. Tani is returning to Earth two months later than planned after delays to Atlantis' launch in December extended his mission. "It certainly will be sad to leave," Tani said, adding that he will miss his Whitson and flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko of Russia's Federal Space Agency. "I've gotten to know Peggy and Yuri quite well." Mission Control woke the Atlantis crew at 12:53 a.m. EST (0553 GMT) to a ukulele version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" by Israel Kamakawiwo Ole. The song was chosen for Tani by his wife Jane and their two young daughters, Keiko and Lilly. "I can't wait to get back home," Tani said after hearing the tune. "I've had such a wonderful time here, but it's time to get back to my family." Before Atlantis pulled away from the space station, shuttle pilot Alan Poindexter flew the shuttle on a victory lap of sorts to allow his crewmates to observe their construction handiwork. "It was a real pleasure to fly around the station," Poindexter said. "It was a beautiful sight." Poindexter's crewmates photographed and recorded video of the space station's new look as he flew Atlantis. "We're just looking for a complete survey," ISS flight director Bob Dempsey said Sunday, adding that the station's new Columbus lab would be likely target. "One of the main reasons we do this is to monitor the exterior of the space station over time." Even as Atlantis departed the ISS, NASA's next space shuttle to fly made the trek out to its seaside launch pad. Riding atop its massive crawler carrier vehicle, the shuttle Endeavour ambled out to Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Cape Canaveral, Fla., the same launch site where Atlantis lifted off on Feb. 7. Endeavour and its STS-123 crew are slated to launch to the ISS on March 11 to deliver a new addition to the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm and the first segment of Japan's massive Kibo laboratory. Heat shield inspection up next Today's undocking was only the start of a busy day in space for the Atlantis crew. The shuttle flyers will conduct a second full inspection of their orbiter's heat shield covering its nose cap and wing leading edges. Known as a late inspection, the four-hour survey will begin at 8:40 a.m. EST (1340 GMT). The now-standard chore is aimed at ensuring that Atlantis' heat shield has not suffered damage from orbital debris or micrometeorites during flight. Engineers have already cleared the shuttle of any concerns related to external fuel tank debris from launch. NASA has kept a close watch on shuttle heat shield health since the 2003 loss of Columbia and its crew due to a wing damage sustained at launch. Aboard the space station, the three Expedition 16 astronauts have a light couple of days ahead to rest up after the frenetic pace of last week's construction work. Eyharts is expected to spend some of that time activating science racks aboard Columbus, while Whitson has volunteered to perform extra experiments for researchers on Earth. "It's definitely a lot quieter already," she said late Sunday. Frick and his crew are due to land at KSC on Wednesday at 9:07 a.m. EST (1407 GMT), though NASA is activating a backup runway in California to return Atlantis as soon as possible and give the U.S. military enough time to shoot down a falling spy satellite laden with half a ton of toxic rocket fuel. "We are still planning on landing on the 20th," Dempsey said. "The weather is looking promising at the Kennedy Space Center." NASA is broadcasting Atlantis' STS-122 mission live on NASA TV
Live Space Shuttle and ISS Coverage FEBRUARY 20, 2008 Atlantis shuttle returns to Earth | | Atlantis and its crew helped install a new lab on the ISS |
The Atlantis orbiter has touched down on Earth after a 13-day mission to cement Europe's position on the International Space Station (ISS). The spacecraft and its crew installed the 12.8-tonne Columbus science lab, an achievement that makes Europe a full member of the $100bn platform project. Atlantis landed at Florida's Kennedy Space Center at 1407 GMT. Now that the shuttle is down, the US military will be allowed to shoot an ailing spy satellite out of the sky. | The mission triggers Europe's full membership of the ISS project 
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The missile firing, which is likely to take place over the Pacific Ocean, could not be carried out until after Atlantis had returned for fear the ship might encounter debris on its high-speed descent. Nasa officials earlier reported that four small steering jets on Atlantis had failed, but they stressed these thrusters were not needed to help de-orbit the shuttle or control its glide through the atmosphere. Riding home on Atlantis was US astronaut Dan Tani, who has been a long-stay resident on the ISS since October. His place on the platform has been taken by Frenchman Leopold Eyharts who went up with the shuttle and who will spend the coming weeks commissioning the Columbus lab. | COLUMBUS SCIENCE LAB Total length - 6.8m Diameter - 4.5m Volume - 75 cu m Launch mass - 12.8t Operation - 3 crew Cabin temp - 16-27C Total power - 20kW |
The 1.3bn-euro ($1.8bn; £0.9bn) module is Europe's major contribution to the science endeavours on the station, and the first part of the ISS it will control, through an operations centre in Oberpfaffenhofen in southern Germany. The lab's installation means the European Space Agency (Esa) acquires "rights" under the space station project plan, principally to fly one European astronaut every two years to the platform for a six-month stay. Columbus is booked for an extensive programme of research that will take in experiments from the life sciences, materials science, fluid physics and other disciplines. Knowledge gained in the weightless conditions experienced on the platform are expected to aid the development of more advanced electronics, new alloys, novel drugs, and better crops, to name just a few examples. In addition to fitting Columbus, the Atlantis crew replaced an empty nitrogen tank on the station and retrieved a failed control-moment gyroscope that is one of four such mechanisms used to keep the ISS pointing in the right direction.
The mission has been deeply satisfying for Nasa. It now feels it has the shuttle system working at optimum efficiency. The fuel sensor glitch experienced during recent launch campaigns seems to have been solved, and the shedding of shuttle tank insulation foam - the fatal flaw that downed Columbia and her crew in 2003 - has been minimised. | ATV - SPACE CARGO TRUCK Logistics ship will resupply the ISS with 4,860kg of cargo Deliveries to include science equipment, food and clothing Large tanks will transport vital air, water and fuel supplies ATV project's estimated cost is about 1.3bn euros (£0.9bn) At least four craft will follow the maiden ATV - Jules Verne Named after the author who wrote about fantastic journeys |
Agency managers have expressed confidence that they can complete the construction of the ISS by the time the orbiter fleet is retired at the end of 2010 to make way for a new human launch system. Already, the Endeavour orbiter is on the launch pad at Kennedy ready for an 11 March flight. Ten more shuttle flights will be required after its return, a manifest it looks set to shoulder along with the Discovery shuttle. Atlantis, on current planning, has completed its ISS duties and is set for one last outing in August or September this year to service the Hubble Space Telescope However, Nasa says no final decision has been taken on Atlantis' immediate future. For Europe, attention turns to its new space station logistics ship, known as the Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV). Dubbed "Jules Verne" for its maiden voyage, the ATV is entering final launch preparations at the European Kourou spaceport in French Guiana where it is expected to leave Earth on 8 March. The ATV will haul just under five tonnes of cargo (food, water, fuel and experimental equipment) to the ISS. 
Preliminary launch dates for shuttles in the rest of 2008: - 11 March, Endeavour: to deliver the first part of the Japanese science complex known as Kibo and the Canadian Dextre robot to the ISS
- 24 April, Discovery: to loft the second and main component of the Japanese Kibo lab together with its exterior robot arm
- 28 August, Atlantis: a flight to service the Hubble Space Telescope
- 16 October, Endeavour: a cargo flight to the ISS using the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module in Endeavour's payload bay
- 4 December, Discovery: taking up the fourth starboard "backbone" segment for the ISS; and the fourth set of solar arrays and batteries
Because Atlantis will not be able to reach the space station if it gets into trouble, or is damaged, on its Hubble flight, the Endeavour orbiter will be made ready on the pad for a rescue mission in case it is needed. Launch dates for the remaining seven flights in 2009/10 are under review. The crew of the space station is expected to rise from three to six in mid-2009.
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Orbital Arrival: Fresh Astronaut Crew Docks at Space Station
By Tariq Malik
Staff Writer
posted: 12 October 2007
11:49 a.m. ET
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This story was updated at 1:39 p.m. EDT. The first female commander of the International Space Station (ISS) arrived at the orbital laboratory Friday alongside a veteran cosmonaut and Malaysia's first astronaut to complete a two-day chase aboard their Russian spacecraft. ISS Expedition 16 commander Peggy Whitson, of NASA, made her space station return at about 10:50 a.m. EDT (1450 GMT) as her Soyuz TMA-11 spacecraft docked at the orbital laboratory. Russian cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysian astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor accompanied Whitson to the ISS, where the outpost's current three-man crew gave them a warm welcome. "The biggest gift is our friends who are here on time," said cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin, the station's current Expedition 15 commander. "Everybody is smiling and happy, so the fun is only about to begin." Malenchenko, an Expedition 16 flight engineer, commanded the Soyuz TMA-11's flight as it docked at an Earth-facing berth on the station's Russian-built Zarya control module while both spacecraft flew 220 miles (354 kilometers) above Central Asia. "This looks just like Darth Vader's ship," said astronaut Julie Payette, serving as spacecraft communicator at NASA's ISS Mission Control in Houston, Texas, after seeing views of the space station from Soyuz cameras. Crew change ahead Whitson and Malenchenko, both veterans of past ISS crews, are beginning a six-month spaceflight and will replace Yurchikhin and Expedition 15 flight engineer Oleg Kotov on the space station during a nine-day crew swap. NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson, currently aboard the ISS, will stay on for the first stage of the Expedition 16 mission. Yurchikhin and Kotov are due to land Oct. 21 to complete their own six-month mission to the space station. Shukor, a trained orthopedic surgeon who is flying under a commercial agreement between the Malaysian government and Russia, will spend about nine days performing science experiments and observing the Earth before returning home with the Expedition 15 crew. "I feel very well and I have lots of Russian and American friends up onboard with me here," said Shukor, who spoke to his father from orbit via a video link. "I love you very much and when I come back I hope share my experiences with you and with all the Malaysian people." Malaysia's Science, Technology and Innovations minister Jamaludin Jarjis thanked Russia's Federal Space Agency, NASA and their ISS partners during a post-docking press conference at Russia's ISS Mission Control. "Without your contributions we wouldn't be able to see one of our men in space," Jarjis said. "We are committed to remaining a permanent member of this [space] community." Busy six months in space
Expedition 16 marks the second flight to the ISS for Whitson and the third for Malenchenko, with Russian and NASA mission managers touting them as their most experienced ISS crew. Both astronauts spent about 185 days aboard the ISS, Whitson as an Expedition 5 flight engineer in 2002 and Malenchenko as Expedition 7 commander in 2003. Malenchenko also visited the ISS during NASA's STS-106 shuttle flight in 2000 and is a veteran commander of Russia's Mir Space Station. Whitson said that long-duration experience will come in handy on Expedition 16, during which her crew hopes to host up to three visiting NASA space shuttle crews, Europe's first unmanned cargo ship and two automated Russian resupply ships. "Yuri and I will both be ready to step in very quickly," Whitson said in preflight NASA interview. "Which, I think, we’re going to need because this mission is, a very aggressive mission." Each of the NASA shuttle missions -- the first of which is set to launch Oct. 23 -- will bring a new flight engineer to replace the third slot on Whitson's crew as well as a major addition to the ISS structure. The shuttle Discovery is slated to deliver the Harmony connecting node to the ISS later this month, with the European Space Agency's Columbus laboratory due at the station in December. A Canadian-built addition to the station's robotic arm and the first segment of Japan's three-part Kibo laboratory are currently scheduled to launch in February. "[W]e have a very exciting mission planned," Whitson said. "I'm looking forward to all the new elements that we're going to be able to ad to the International Space Station." FEBRUARY 25, 2008 Here's a new picture of the Queen of POP..from an ICONer with private eyes.....Does she have a Knight in shining armour or is she on her way to another public event without her true love on her arm? CHECK OUT "THE GOLDEN SLIPPERS' on Dorothy.....BElieve me when I say I was in Wizard of OZ land in KANSAS and they strip you of all your cloths andtake your shoes before they put you in a nut hut without any civil rights.........Just ask Princess "fellow Bi-Polar" Britney. Watch out Madonna....the vultures have swooped down on Princess Diana and are now hovering over our Princess Britney.....Where is your true love?..........In Guy's Pub or waiting for you with private eyes as in the City of Brotherly Live Aid LOVE?.......REMEMBER .....your legion of ICONers always have their eyes on you and are sad to see you without a Prince on your arms and in your eyes. Messag es LIVE EARTH CONCERTS
Hey You...the Artists of the Earth may have gathered again around the world to sing and play... In an effort to expose the relavence of global warming on just that ONE special day... But if we continue to destroy the beauty of this Earth.. Then why do those who are in the public eye loose credibility by denying what they're worth. Yes, you can gather together and tell the general public that our planet is in need of love and not war But when you return to your public lives and continue to spread a lifestyle of wealth and greed..... How are our children to believe that these concerts and causes will help them keep growing trees from a seed?...how can we solve these problems of poverty, famine and war when the artists get richer and the poorer get poor. It seems like a hippocracy to ask the private people to help save the Earth when an "artist" becomes a "star" and endelges themselves in their own self worth. Why ask for money from those who are poor?....Shouldn't we really believe that these "superstars" should be checking their egos at the doors? With their massive amounts of money and fame...Is it any wonder that the future our Earth is no longer within our control to remain in God's domain? Let us give those who would help save our land....at least an opportunity to help make a stand. For both the famous and the common PEOPLE to open their eyes and view the truth...that a climate in crisis has now been passed on to our youth. If Live Concerts are to raise awareness and give our children hope and the ability to change what We should have done...then maybe our "stars" should step aside and let the children on the earth gain their power from our sun...because just one Live AID concert or one Live Earth will not solve the problems nor will they yield their worth... If we continue to make human beings "stars" and watch as they acquire the people's money to live in luxury and forget their past.....then how will these concerts benefit the children and make their hopes and dreams last? We are all human beings living on the same mother Earth and if we don't look above to find our "stars"... Then the moon and our planet will soon become as Red as Mars. Global Warming is a result of how we chose to live a life of greed, luxury, and lack of respect for this beautiful blue planet that gives life to us all.....be it the large or be it in the small....be it in the poor or be it in the rich....the artist or the common man.....It is truly WE THE PEOPLE that must now ALL band together and take a daily devoted common stand....For if the "STARS" on the Earth all look above into the "STARS" in the sky... Then maybe just maybe in future years to come... what we will leave for our children will be a cause that we ALL will have won!
LIVE EARTH......FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH Daniel Joseph Reed March 1, 2008 * * ************************************************************************************************************************** MARCH 4, 2008 * CLICK BELOW TO SEE SLIDESHOWS OF LIVE EARTH AND OTHER PLANETS>>>> |
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IS THIS A PIECE OF HARD CANDY OR A LIVE EARTH? Posted: 2 March 2008 'HARD CANDY' DELICIOUS NEW MADONNA ALBUM SCHEDULED TO BE RELEASED ON WARNER BROS. RECORDS APRIL 29th
28 February 2008
Burbank, California-Madonna's 11th studio album for Warner Bros. Records "HARD CANDY" is scheduled to have a global release on April 28th and a US release on April 29th, it was confirmed . "HARD CANDY" (the follow up to Madonna's "CONFESSIONS ON A DANCE FLOOR" which debuted at No. 1 in 30 countries and sold over 8 million copies)(DID THE MONEY GO TO THE STARVING KIDS IN AFRICA OR JUST DAVID"S ADOPTIVE MOTHER-MADONNA LOUISE AND SOME TO LIZ HERSELF?), has been described as a brilliant up-tempo collection,(By Who?) of 12 songs in which Madonna remains ensconced in a club mode,The debungle, the pulsating "4 Minutes" will be released in about the same time it takes to snap your fingers and realize that another African or American child will have died from AIDS or starvation.
"The title is a juxtaposition of tough and sweetness?...kind of like I'm gonna kick your ass but it's going to make you feel good? And of course, I love candy" laughed the material girl. (But is she still concerned that there are people barely living on Welfare like myself and children starving in David's country of Africa who could use some of the proceeds from this project to help them sustain life on this planet...So Does Madonna want to kick ass or save lives?
I would love to hear back from Liz, Sarah, fellow artists or readers of my website or Madonna Louise herself about the content of this official Danny release. You can simply use my e-mail address of danielreed@netzero.net or any editor or publisher at Calloway or Puffin in London like Marilyn Duckworth or Joanna Prior, who would like to help themselves and my financial situation by printing the poems and contents of this website. Did you know that Madonna was actually turned down by the Russians to send her up to the International Space Station this year of 2008?....Will it be Madonna or Lance Bass who take the first "celebrity trip on the USA Space Shuttle? I don't think Lance has a chance anymore but Madonna Louise Ciccone Penn-Richie-? still may be able to help NASA return to the moon before 2020. Or maybe the Bi-Polar woman Britney on the cover of OK.
Madonna, a multi-Grammy-award-winning singer, songwriter, producer, cultural icon, world renowned stage performer, video visionary, children's book author?, director and documentary film maker has sold 200 million albums in the course of her unprecedented two decade plus career and is slated to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 10th...(Who will show up on her arm and why isn't the DISCO QUEEN Donna Summer being inducted? If there was anyone who deserved to appear from a Disco Ball to start a CONCERT it would have to be Donna not Madonna.) This is only my point of view and I welcome your responses to anything you have read here or in my book EMOTION:The Treasure of Love or my manuscript "Words That Defy Time and Gravity" first sent out in 2005 to Penquin, Callaway, and Puffin in London. (I've longed to see England but my financial situation continues to make it hard for this Bi-Polar starving artist to make such a trip...(Can anyone help me get out of America and into the UK?)
Sincerely, Daniel Joseph Reed
JOIN MY FELLOW ICONers AND HELP US RETURN TO THE STARS IN THE SKY AND MAKE OUR ASTRONAUTS OUR NEW AMERICAN IDOLS.... RETURN TO MENU AND BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY BACK INTO "THE NEW FRONTIER" WITH "WORDS THAT DEFY TIME AND LOVE"... http://www.poetryworld.mysite.com/index_2.html Madonna ICON Fanclub member 6218 User names "ROMEO" "romeoICON" and presently "REEDYREED" JOIN MY FELLOW ICONers AND HELP US RETURN TO THE STARS IN THE SKY AND MAKE OUR ASTRONAUTS OUR NEW AMERICAN IDOLS.... RETURN TO MENU AND BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY BACK INTO "THE NEW FRONTIER" WITH "WORDS THAT DEFY TIME AND LOVE"... http://www.poetryworld.mysite.com/index_2.html JOIN MY FELLOW ICONers AND HELP US RETURN TO THE STARS IN THE SKY AND MAKE OUR ASTRONAUTS OUR NEW AMERICAN IDOLS.... RETURN TO MENU AND BEGIN YOUR JOURNEY BACK INTO "THE NEW FRONTIER" WITH "WORDS THAT DEFY TIME AND LOVE"... http://www.poetryworld.mysite.com/index_2
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Shuttle launch 
'It's a great day' 
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