Space Station Trash Plunging to Earth By Tariq Malik, (Oct. 31) - A piece of space station trash the size of a refrigerator is poised to plunge through the Earth's atmosphere late Sunday, more than a year after an astronaut tossed it overboard.NASA and the U.S. Space Surveillance Network are tracking the object - a 1,400-pound tank of toxic ammonia coolant thrown from the International Space Station - to make sure it does not endanger people on Earth. Exactly where the tank will inevitably fall is currently unknown, though it is expected to re-enter Earth's atmosphere Sunday afternoon or later that evening, NASA officials said."This has got a very low likelihood that anybody will be impacted by it," said Mike Suffredini, NASA's space station program manager, in an interview. "But still, it is a large object and pieces will enter and we just need to be cautious."NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson threw the ammonia tank from the tip of the space station's Canadian-built robotic arm during a July 23, 2007 spacewalk. He also tossed away an unneeded video camera stand overboard as well, but that 212-pound item burned up harmlessly in the atmosphere early this year, Suffredini said.NASA expects up to 15 pieces of the tank to survive the searing hot temperatures of re-entry, ranging in size from about 1.4 ounces to nearly 40 pounds.If they reach all the way to land, the largest pieces could slam into the Earth's surface at about 100 mph (62 kph). But a splashdown at sea is also possible, as the planet is two-thirds ocean."If anybody found a piece of anything on the ground Monday morning, I would hope they wouldn't get too close to it," Suffredini said.Known as the Early Ammonia Servicer (EAS), the coolant tank is the largest piece of orbital trash ever tossed overboard by hand from the space station. Larger unmanned Russian and European cargo ships are routinely destroyed in the Earth's atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean after their space station deliveries, but those disposals are controlled and preplanned.The recent destruction of the European Space Agency's Jules Verne cargo ship was eagerly observed by scientists hoping to glean new information on how objects behave as they enter Earth's atmosphere. Observers aboard two chase planes caught photographs and video of the double-decker bus-sized spacecraft's demise, but no such campaign is possible with the returning ammonia tank.The last object to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere with prior notice was a small asteroid the size of a kitchen table that exploded in midair as it flew over Africa on Oct 7th.It's taken more than year for the ammonia tank to slowly slip down toward Earth due to atmospheric drag. During its time aboard the station, the tank served as a coolant reservoir to boost the outpost's cooling system in the event of leaks. Upgrades to the station last year made the tank obsolete, and engineers were concerned that its structural integrity would not withstand a ride back to Earth aboard a NASA space shuttle. Instead, they tossed it overboard, or "jettisoned" it in NASA parlance.Suffredini said that while astronauts have accidentally lost a tool or two during spacewalks, the planned jettison of larger items is done with the utmost care to ensure the trash doesn't hit the station or any other spacecraft as it circles the Earth. Engineers also make sure the risk to people on Earth is low, as well."As a matter of course, we don't throw things overboard haphazardly," Suffredini said. "We have a policy that has certain criteria we have to meet before you can throw something overboard." Ok, now maybe I'm a little confused here, but did they just say that the tank's structural integrity was at stake with a ride back to Earth on a shuttle, so they decided the better idea was to toss it overboard into the atmosphere? Um, where exactly did they think it was going to go? Did they think there was one of those gigantic Glad
trash bags floating around up there, protecting the planet? (You know the one; the commercial with the piano that falls from several stories high, and misses the trash bag, so the furniture movers throw all the pieces into the
trash bag, and take it up to the owner).
I used to be supportive of space exploration, and even wanted to be an astronaut myself, but I hate math so that pretty much tabled that dream. But, there have just been too many
catastrophes and bone headed decisions made over the past 20+ years to warrant spending so much money on the program. That money could be put to better use in school systems across America. We have more students than the classrooms can hold, and not enough teachers to go around. Did you know that
NASA's proposed 2009 annual budget is $20.211 billion? Yes, I said billion. That works out to be approximately $0.15 per day for every tax paying US citizen. We can sponsor a starving child for only $0.10 per day. Imagine how many children could be saved with that kind of money, either from starvation, or from dropping out of school due to cuts in programs such as art that keep them interested.
With our crippled economy, and the unemployment and dropout rate steadily increasing, I don't see how congress can continue justifying a program with no definitive purpose. They have been spending
billions of dollars over several decades, and have managed to accomplish 2
things:
1. A space station with no real purpose other than
accommodating the occasional docking shuttle
2. A space shuttle who's only purpose is to fly to the space station with no real purpose
Without the shuttle, there isn't a US purpose for the space station, and
without the space station, their isn't a purpose for the space shuttle. So, why is so much money being continuously pumped into a program with no real purpose, and no real accomplishments? Seems to me, if more money was spent on the education of American children, we wouldn't need an expensive space program to give us something to be proud of. We could instead be producing scholars in every field. That would be something to be proud of.
This year, Dawson decided he wanted to be a pirate. So, I checked Wal-Mart for a costume, and decided very quickly that I wasn't going to pay $20.00 for a costume, so I set out to make it myself. I bought a pirate package for $5.00 that included the eye patch, bandanna, false teeth, and earring, and I used the make-up we had leftover from last year. The hook and bucket came from an auction, and the sash was 2 yards of ribbon I bought for $0.49 each. I made him a sword out of cardboard, and wrapped it in foil, and the wooden sword was made by Pop Pop for Dave when he was little. The black t-shirt was on clearance for $3.00, and the blue pants are just a pair of sweats he wears. Put it all together, and you have an instant pirate costume. 
