Bird(or space shuttle) droppings

The Space Shuttle was launched yesterday.

Discovery's crew used highly sensitive cameras attached to a 50-foot boom Wednesday to carefully examine the space shuttle for any signs of damage from the previous day's launch. Nothing serious was reported, but it was much too early to draw any conclusions, officials said.

That's so re-assuring. NOT!

The only unusual thing found, at least for now, was a whitish splotch on Discovery's right wing that looked like a bird dropping.

I wonder how many millions of dollars were spent to discover that. If NASA wants to see bird poop, they can come to my Lantana home and look at the roof of my car. It will be a heck of alot cheaper.

Ceccacci said the imagery experts would study the splotch and make sure it was nothing more than a bird's shuttle signature.

Are there imagery experts who specialize in bird poop? An amazing use of expensive technology.

Live video of Discovery's Independence Day launch had showed some small chunks of debris falling from the external fuel tank, at least one chunk hitting the shuttle.

Using new inspection techniques implemented after the 2003 Columbia disaster, the astronauts on Wednesday were taking more images with laser, digital and video cameras that can spot damage as small as an eighth of an inch.

None of this sounds re-assuring to me at all after the Columbia debacle.

This also sounds oh so familiar from the last shuttle launch. These craft are falling apart and are a danger to the people who fly them and the people of Florida. Why is Florida at risk? Go and read this.

Scrap this program now before we have an even bigger tragedy. I don't care about the space station needing to be finished. We're wasting billions and putting lives at stake. It is not worth it.

Open Post- Cao's Blog, Bright & Early, Third World County
Cross Posted to Bullwinkle Blog