What Does NASA Have to Do with Muslim Relations?

Is Obama hinting he is going to give SDI to al Queda? Is he willing to let Iranians build spy satellites against Israel? What in the blue hell does NASA have to do with Islamic relations? Why am I asking? Check this out:

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a recent interview that his "foremost" mission as the head of America's space exploration agency is to improve relations with the Muslim world.

Though international diplomacy would seem well outside NASA's orbit, Bolden said in an interview with Al Jazeera that strengthening those ties was among the top tasks President Obama assigned him. He said better interaction with the Muslim world would ultimately advance space travel.

"When I became the NASA administrator -- or before I became the NASA administrator -- he charged me with three things. One was he wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science ... and math and engineering," Bolden said in the interview.

WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT? Excuse me, but the job of NASA is improving the standing of the United States through science experimentation and space exploration. It has NOTHING to do with improving relations with some ethnic or racial group. Give me a flipping break! You would think this would be news, but check this out:

From a Nexis search a few moments ago:

Total words about the NASA Muslim outreach program in the New York Times: 0.

Total words about the NASA Muslim outreach program in the Washington Post: 0.

Total words about the NASA Muslim outreach program on NBC Nightly News: 0.

Total words about the NASA Muslim outreach program on ABC World News: 0.

Total words about the NASA Muslim outreach program on CBS Evening News: 0.

If you were to receive your news from any one of these outlets, or even all of them together, and you heard about some sort of controversy involving the Obama administration redefining the space agency’s mission to feature outreach to Muslim countries, your response would be, “Huh?” Among all the news these distinguished outlets have seen fit to cover in recent days, the NASA story has not made the cut.

Astronauts Successful in Critical Spacewalk

Yesterday, I reported about the dangerous spacewalk to take place today involving repairing the torn solar wing of the ISS. Thank the Lord, it turns out they were successful. From the BBC:

A US astronaut has carried out a dangerous spacewalk to repair a damaged solar panel on the International Space Station (ISS).
The energy-collecting wing developed a rip when it was being unfurled at the port end of the platform on Tuesday.

Scott Parazynski rode on the end of an extension boom to install home-made "cufflinks" to the broken section.

The repair work will enable the wing to be fully deployed and properly locked in position.

Mr Parazynski was supported from a nearby girder by spacewalking colleague Douglas Wheelock.

Mr Parazynski had to carry out the work without touching the torn solar panel, which could have given him a powerful shock if touched. His suit and tools were insulated for protection.

Vital repair

"Beautiful," said Mr Parazynsky as he completed more than fours hours of work outside the space station, more than 200 miles (320km) above the Earth.

A controller at Houston, Texas Mission Control, told the astronauts: "Nice teamwork... excellent work guys."

The repair was of vital importance to future shuttle flights.

Unless the wing can be extended fully, it may not be able to withstand the loading put on the platform when the orbiter docks.

Congrats all around....God bless our astronauts, and God bless America...

By the way, have you voted yet? (see below)

Space News: Daring Spacewalk to Be Attempted

While trolling around for some sports news on 1530homer.com, I came across this real news story:

NASA is set to carry out the most dangerous and difficult spacewalk ever attempted.
Astronaut Scott Parazynski has the job of trying to repair a solar panel that has a tear in it. Nasa originally planned to carry out the repair today but because it is so complicated it has been pushed back until Saturday or Sunday.
The panel provides electricity to the space station and is still generating power posing the risk of electric shock to Parazynski. Parazynski will make the repair while suspended from a 50 foot boom attached to the space station’s robotic arm, and MIssion Specialist Doug Wheelock will assist from the station’s truss. Mission Specialist Stephanie Wilson and Expedition 16 Flight Engineer Dan Tani will be operating the station’s robotic arm from the robotic work station inside the Destiny laboratory. Mission Specialist Paolo Nespoli will be the spacewalk coordinator.

Thoughts and prayers with the astronauts and their families.

SABOTAGE!

AP News Alert:

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) NASA says it has uncovered sabotage by a space program worker who deliberately cut wires inside a computer that was scheduled to be delivered next month to the international space station.

What could this be all about?

More from a Yahoo News story:

But Gerstenmaier had more news. He revealed that an employee for a NASA subcontractor had cut the wires in a computer that was about to be loaded into the shuttle Endeavour for launch.

The subcontractor, which he wouldn't name, contacted NASA 1 1/2 weeks ago, as soon as it learned that another computer had been damaged deliberately, Gerstenmaier said. Had the contractor not discovered the problem, NASA would have uncovered it by testing the computer before launch, Gerstenmaier said. Safety was not an issue, he added.

He refused to speculate on the worker's motive. He also wouldn't say where the sabotage occurred. He said it did not happen in Florida and had nothing to do with an ongoing strike at the Kennedy Space Center by a machinists' union.

NASA hopes to fix the computer in time for launch next month. It's intended to be installed inside the space station to collect data from strain gauges on a major outside beam.

"More news"? Yeah, apparently also released today was a report about an astronaut who was allowed to fly drunk...

This isn't your father's NASA...or maybe it is...

NASA Announces Ohio Aeronautics Research Award

PR/US Newswire:

NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, Aviation Safety Program, Washington, has awarded approximately $160,000 to Ohio Aerospace Institute, Cleveland, for work described in their NASA research announcement proposal entitled "Packaging Technology for High Temperature Silicon Carbide Electronics and Sensors."

The award will foster close collaboration with and facilitate the exchange of ideas and information among researchers at NASA, industry, academia, and other government agencies to benefit the nation's aeronautics community.

The Aviation Safety Program conducts cutting-edge research dedicated to improving the safety of current and future aircraft operating in the National Airspace System. The research focus is on the way vehicles are designed, built, operated, and maintained. Scientists and engineers in this program develop principles, guidelines, concepts, tools, methods, and technologies to address four areas: Aircraft Aging and Durability, Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck Technologies, Integrated Vehicle Health Management, and Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control.

For more information about NASA research announcements, visit:

http://nspires.nasaprs.com

For information about NASA's aeronautics program, visit:

http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov