Related News
Obama pays tribute to NASA's oldest space shuttle
Source: Agencies |
March 4, 2011, Friday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
US President Barack Obama yesterday paid homage to NASA's oldest space shuttle and urged astronauts aboard the International Space Station to put their new robotic crew-mate to work.
Obama's six-minute phone call from the White House to the orbital outpost 350 km above Earth came during shuttle Discovery's 10-day stay at the station, the shuttle's 39th and final mission.
"It's traveled more distance in space and spent more time in orbit than any of its peers in the shuttle fleet," Obama said of Discovery, NASA's oldest surviving spaceship.
Sister ships Endeavour and Atlantis are scheduled for their final voyages within six months, effectively ending a 30-year chapter in NASA space vehicles.
Shuttle commander Steve Lindsey said that after ground controllers extended Discovery's mission by a day, it will have flown a combined 365 days in space before its planned landing in Florida on Wednesday.
Obama also inquired about a prototype humanoid robot built in partnership with General Motors Corp called Robonaut 2 or R2, a nod to the feisty droid R2D2 from the "Star Wars" movies.
"Are you guys making him do chores up there? Washing dishes or something? Or does he have more exciting jobs?" Obama asked the combined 12 station and shuttle crew members.
Obama feigned frustration when Lindsey told him that R2 was still in its foam packing and likely would not be unpacked for months.
"Come on guys, unpack the guy," Obama said. "He flew all that way and you guys aren't unpacking him?"
R2, a 150-kg machine with a white half-torso and a gold helmet-like head, was among the 10 tons of cargo that Discovery carried up to the orbital outpost on February 24.
Obama's call was mostly light-hearted and avoided hefty topics like NASA's budget and the uncertain future of US space flight.
NASA is ending the shuttle program due to high operating costs and to free up money to develop new spacecraft capable of flying to the moon, asteroids and other destinations in the solar system.
Obama signed a stop-gap funding measure on Wednesday that would keep NASA and other federal agencies funded until March 18. But until Obama and lawmakers in Congress agree to a full-year budget, NASA cannot begin working on a new launch system to replace the space shuttle.
Obama's six-minute phone call from the White House to the orbital outpost 350 km above Earth came during shuttle Discovery's 10-day stay at the station, the shuttle's 39th and final mission.
"It's traveled more distance in space and spent more time in orbit than any of its peers in the shuttle fleet," Obama said of Discovery, NASA's oldest surviving spaceship.
Sister ships Endeavour and Atlantis are scheduled for their final voyages within six months, effectively ending a 30-year chapter in NASA space vehicles.
Shuttle commander Steve Lindsey said that after ground controllers extended Discovery's mission by a day, it will have flown a combined 365 days in space before its planned landing in Florida on Wednesday.
Obama also inquired about a prototype humanoid robot built in partnership with General Motors Corp called Robonaut 2 or R2, a nod to the feisty droid R2D2 from the "Star Wars" movies.
"Are you guys making him do chores up there? Washing dishes or something? Or does he have more exciting jobs?" Obama asked the combined 12 station and shuttle crew members.
Obama feigned frustration when Lindsey told him that R2 was still in its foam packing and likely would not be unpacked for months.
"Come on guys, unpack the guy," Obama said. "He flew all that way and you guys aren't unpacking him?"
R2, a 150-kg machine with a white half-torso and a gold helmet-like head, was among the 10 tons of cargo that Discovery carried up to the orbital outpost on February 24.
Obama's call was mostly light-hearted and avoided hefty topics like NASA's budget and the uncertain future of US space flight.
NASA is ending the shuttle program due to high operating costs and to free up money to develop new spacecraft capable of flying to the moon, asteroids and other destinations in the solar system.
Obama signed a stop-gap funding measure on Wednesday that would keep NASA and other federal agencies funded until March 18. But until Obama and lawmakers in Congress agree to a full-year budget, NASA cannot begin working on a new launch system to replace the space shuttle.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
