Jeez, between the bike races and psych cases, NASA is quickly losing mission personnel.

CJHardin: Jeez, between the bike races and psych cases, NASA is quickly losing mission personnel.

Hmm, I think you are on to something

I was gonna make some dumb joke about Lance Armstrong and testicles when I found this

THAT GOATS TESTICLES ARE RIDING A BIKE!

The sandwich ejected safely, though

...raises hand

I'll go!

/don't know if I can still fit into the ol flight suit, might need to special order a bigger one...

In rod we trust.

Wasn't Gabrielle Gifford's husband a backup for the next shuttle flight?

Well... shyeah.. helllOOOooo.. That is WAAAYYY too fast. I don't even drive that fast on the freeway, people!1

Farkomatic: Wasn't Gabrielle Gifford's husband a backup for the next shuttle flight?

Aren't all astronauts technically "back-ups" for the next flight?
(cept for the ones that are scheduled for the next flight already, duh)

Wonder if there's any relation to Frank "nomnomnom" Gifford

You need to wear extra-gay spandex to go 18 times the speed of light.

If you have trouble with a bicycle, I'm thinking Astronaut may not be a wise career choice.

Farkomatic: Wasn't Gabrielle Gifford's husband a backup for the next shuttle flight?

No, he (Mark Kelly) is the commander for STS-134 Endeavour. Although a backup (Rick Sturckow) has been assigned so the crew can continue training in his absence, Kelly remains the commander at this time.

What an astronaut on a bike might look like:



One you could depend on as a replacement:

18C

I wonder if that would cause you to pop forward in time so far that you end up in God's bathroom. I mean, the universe would surely be over by then, God will have switched off the laptop and set it down while he wipes. hmmm

whatshisname: You need to wear extra-gay spandex to go 18 times the speed of light.

hell yeah. You'd need to have an orthodontist give you a mean ass "Freddie Mercury" overbite too.

Any Pie Left: The sandwich ejected safely, though

But was the water bottle okay? Was it?

Oh FFS.

At this rate Discovery taking off is going to cause the world to end or something.

X15: Oh FFS.

At this rate Discovery taking off is going to cause the world to end or something.

It's going to pop out of the LHC in 2009.

The thrill of space travel just doesn't compare to bicyclin'... god speed Kopra.

FTA: "The space agency could also look at finding a replacement for Kopra. Another option would be to fly the mission shorthanded."

Flying shorthanded is never a good idea. Just ask the Flight 93 hijackers.

/window seat, please

We learned from Carl Sagan's Cosmos that the speed of light on a bicycle is 40 kph, so the astronaut was riding at 720 kph, or 447 mph. Wow, that's fast!

Rufus Lee King: Approximately three and a half million miles per second? Why, that'll out drag a Chevrolet.

He also could make the Kessel run in 2/3s of a parsec

LittleSmitty: If you have trouble with a bicycle, I'm thinking Astronaut may not be a wise career choice.

Everyone who rides a bike for very long eventually has some sort of crash (though most aren't nearly severe enough to break a hip). Active people get injured, occasionally. It's no different from someone getting hurt playing basketball or football with their friends. It's just the price you pay for not being a tub of lard (and at $10,000/lb or whatever it costs currently, I don't think NASA wants to have any obese astronauts).

Well it was QUITE stupid of the government MONEY PIT know as NASA to NOT have a backup.

Guess they'll learn next time.

They don't say what kind of injury it is but usually when you hurt your knee they want you to stay off of it for a while. Wouldn't floating around in zero gravity be the ultimate way to stay off of it? Roll him out to the shuttle in a wheel chair and launch that sucker.

What a dunce and NASA's no better. Even Major League Baseball, not known for their intelligence, has a clause in most contracts that forbids risky behavior. If you're willing to get in a machine built by the lowest bidder system, you've got a screw loose to begin with and (I suspect) need help with your Wheaties to start your day.
Even rock stars have personal assistants that make sure they don't kill themselves partying while on tour. (John Entwistle not withstanding)
Idiots

Kinda makes you wonder if NASA is deliberately dragging out the last two launches, trying to keep the funding and jobs going for another year.

Mnemia: LittleSmitty: If you have trouble with a bicycle, I'm thinking Astronaut may not be a wise career choice.

Everyone who rides a bike for very long eventually has some sort of crash (though most aren't nearly severe enough to break a hip). Active people get injured, occasionally. It's no different from someone getting hurt playing basketball or football with their friends. It's just the price you pay for not being a tub of lard (and at $10,000/lb or whatever it costs currently, I don't think NASA wants to have any obese astronauts).

You seem to have trouble with sarcasm. Did I not use the correct font?

KingVJ: Well it was QUITE stupid of the government MONEY PIT know as NASA to NOT have a backup.

Guess they'll learn next time.

I just thought I'd point this out before you inevitably realize it yourself: You're an idiot, and you haven't the faintest clue what you're talking about.

DarthBart: Kinda makes you wonder if NASA is deliberately dragging out the last two launches, trying to keep the funding and jobs going for another year.

NASA's funding is the highest it has been in years, if not all history, and they definitely aren't stalling over the jobs. Mostly those belong to contractors, and were they that worried, they could find make-work projects. They stall the launch because of safety issues. It isn't some giant conspiracy.

KingVJ: Well it was QUITE stupid of the government MONEY PIT know as NASA to NOT have a backup.

Guess they'll learn next time.

Over time, routinely paying to train seven backups for each seven-member crew adds up to being more expensive than shuffling schedules and personnel when a relatively rare circumstance of incapacity occurs.

haddie: NASA's funding is the highest it has been in years, if not all history,

You think they're getting Apollo-level money now? In 1966 NASA was 4.4% of the federal budget, comparable to the recent bank bailouts in importance, because we were trying to beat the Russians to the moon. Today it's less than 1% of the budget and about half its 1666 peak in adjusted dollars.

18 x c2?

"That's logically absurd, man!"

/Not responsible.

CJHardin: Rufus Lee King: Approximately three and a half million miles per second? Why, that'll out drag a Chevrolet.

He also could make the Kessel run in 2/3s of a parsec


But the little Nash Rambler stayed right behind
You'd think that guy could fly.
/Beep beep

Nem Wan: 1666 1966

Sure, they needed the extra money because the 1666 Great Fire of London burned up the space boat factory, but that's not important.

Chakka: Farkomatic: Wasn't Gabrielle Gifford's husband a backup for the next shuttle flight?

Aren't all astronauts technically "back-ups" for the next flight?
(cept for the ones that are scheduled for the next flight already, duh)

Wonder if there's any relation to Frank "nomnomnom" Gifford

Not really. While some seats are more general duty than others pretty much every mission has specific training and prep demands for whatever they are going to do on that flight. Also depending on how long each person was in space on their last go they have mandatory down-time between eligibility to go up again because of health issues.

Who cares? It's not like they're "exploring" space or even doing science. Completely dispensable and unnecessary showboating at this point.

Flying through hyperspace ain't like dusting crops, boy!

I guess we know now whatever happened to this guy.

Today at the gym I did 8 miles on the exercise bike in 15 minutes. 32 miles per hour. Take that, Lance!

This just goes to prove the space program is a huge waste of money. The coddled rocket jocks are no more than tax payer subsidized "Evil Kennevils". They won't even go to the moon (like they ever did, ha!)

We have problems here on Earth and God wants us to spend our money here.

Rufus Lee King: phrawgh: This just goes to prove the space program is a huge waste of money. The coddled rocket jocks are no more than tax payer subsidized "Evil Kennevils". They won't even go to the moon (like they ever did, ha!)

Oh, yeah? I dare you to say that to Louis Armstrong!

This! Not only did he land on the moon but he did it with only one testicle!

Nem Wan: haddie: NASA's funding is the highest it has been in years, if not all history,

You think they're getting Apollo-level money now? In 1966 NASA was 4.4% of the federal budget, comparable to the recent bank bailouts in importance, because we were trying to beat the Russians to the moon. Today it's less than 1% of the budget and about half its 1666 peak in adjusted dollars.

It is the largest budget since 1970 (other than one year in 1991), and the Apollo program ran until 1972. So, yes, I do think they are getting Apollo level money, just not the same as the development money. Budget % is irrelevant when it comes to funding. If America gained 300 times its budget, but increased NASA's budget only 150 times, it would still be an increase for NASA.

I'm always willing to accept more funding for NASA. It's my lifeblood. But that doesn't mean it is being drastically under-funded by any stretch.