Our Greatest Achievement...

"Call it "one small mistake by somebody, one giant loss for mankind."

The original magnetic tapes that recorded the iconic images of man's first footsteps on the moon are missing and scientists fear they are in danger of deteriorating into dust unless they are found quickly and converted to digital format.

Australian scientists at the Parkes Observatory and the Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station in Australia have launched an intensive effort to find nearly 700 boxes of original, high quality slow-scan TV tapes used to capture the Apollo 11 landing on July 21, 1969. "

Um....hello? Mankind's greatest moment yet....and we lose the "original" video. At least we'll always have the rocks...

Vertigo in Space

NASA STS-114 Mission Status Report #06 - 28 July 2005 - 11 pm CDT | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference:

"The first full day of joint Space Shuttle and International Space Station operations will be highlighted by installation of a cargo transportation module, additional orbiter heat shield inspections and spacewalk preparations.

Discovery's crew was awakened at 10:39 p.m. CDT by the song 'Vertigo' by U2 played for Pilot Jim Kelly. Capcom Shannon Lucid noted during the wakeup call that Kelly, whose nickname is 'Vegas,' was promoted to Colonel in the U.S. Air Force recently. The Station crew was awakened at 11:09 p.m. CDT by a tone onboard."

Vertigo vs. "tone"....Oh to be on the Shuttle! According to @U2, they also have the Rattle & Hum DVD on board. U2 has lots of great "space" songs, "Slug" would be other-worldly up there.

Out of the Bunker

WN: Wired News:

"Opportunity's wheels started slipping April 26 during a planned 295-foot trip. While trying to drive over a foot-high sand dune, the robotic explorer stopped moving, its wheels hub-deep in soft soil.

Engineers spent weeks with an Opportunity mock-up figuring out what commands to give the robot to free it, but the maneuvers took time. The rover inched forward less than a foot in a month, losing most of its traction every time it tried to roll.

'It's kind of like we were swimming through it,' Erickson said.

But on Saturday morning, data showed that Opportunity was free at last and had moved several feet across the dune."

I'll save you from the obligatory Energizer Bunny joke....