back to article Space shuttle Discovery launched

The space shuttle Discovery was successfully launched today, despite zero-hour concerns about a chunk of ice on the fuel tank. The crew of seven blasted off at 11:38 a.m. EST, on a 14-day mission to begin the refurbishment of the $100bn International Space Station which will house Europe's first permanent laboratory in orbit …

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  1. Adrian Esdaile
    Flame

    Heresy! Lies!

    The Earth is FLAT, not the evil heretical "rounded orb" you blasphemously show!

    I'm reporting you to the Inquisition for spreading lies, keeping files in the wrong folder, and sharing Internet links to heresy & blasphemous pictures!

  2. yeah, right.
    Coat

    In tow?

    Really? They're towing it up? Damn, I would really have liked to see THAT launch! Did they have a separate burner on the trailer, or did they just tie it really well to the main vehicle?

  3. Steve
    IT Angle

    on the hitch

    I say they strapped it to the tail with bungee cords and duct tape, thats the only way to go.

    But seriously, when reporting on this stuff, terminology should be at least somewhat accurate, in tow was a poor choice on words, but I've heard local news people use phrases like "the shuttles gas tanks" in reference to the solid state boosters and even the horrible analogy of "the shuttle has to glide unpowered as it lands, meaning it has more drag than thrust" which just hurt my brain, gliding indicates a lack of thrust if I'm not mistaken............... news anchors........ oww my brain.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Black Helicopters

    They should scrap the shuttles...

    ...and build new ones from the alien technology they have aquired over the years.

  5. Pascal Monett Silver badge
    Alien

    "the $100bn ISS which will house Europe's first permanent laboratory in orbit"

    Just one question : given that the ISS has been "in construction" for what seems like forever, just when exactly is it going to be actually useful ?

    In the 23rd century ?

  6. Andy Hockey
    Coat

    @ yeah, right

    You've obviously not seen Futurama... You can hire space trailers from U Yank.

  7. Matt Bucknall

    Just another...

    metric/imperial disaster waiting to happen again...

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Title

    "the horrible analogy of "the shuttle has to glide unpowered as it lands, meaning it has more drag than thrust" which just hurt my brain, gliding indicates a lack of thrust if I'm not mistaken............... news anchors........ oww my brain."

    ...yes, so if there is no thrust, the drag is more than the thrust. Seems a bit odd to say there is 'less thrust' when in fact there is none, but there isn't anything wrong with what was said.

  9. Dave
    Black Helicopters

    re: They should scrap the shuttles...

    How do you know they haven't built something from the alien technology. I couldn't possibly comment but would have full stealth technology so you'd never know about it, especially if they kept the shuttles around to distract people.

    Now, what's that materialising outside the window?

  10. laird cummings

    @Christopher Emerson

    Whilst there may not be anything technically wrong with the statement as read, the bleedin' obviousness of the statement indicates a deep and abiding ignorance on the subject.

    This is along the lines of saying "gravity causes objects to accelerate towards each other, so stuff falls when you drop it," immediately followed by a reasounding "Duh!" from everyone else on the planet. Some things simply don't need elucidation.

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