JamesG
03-08-2011, 04:13 PM
Capt Kirk Wakes Up Discovery Shuttle Crew
UK, Monday March 07, 2011
Richard Williams, Sky News Online
"Star Trek" legend William Shatner provided the wake-up call for the crew of space shuttle Discovery - before it departed for its final ever flight.
A specially recorded message from the actor replaced the music traditionally played to wake up the shuttle's crew on their last day at the International Space Station.
It came ahead of Discovery's departure following a nine-day visit to the space station, where it had delivered a new storage room, a prototype robot and tons of supplies.
The shuttle is now on its way back to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will arrive on Wednesday after its 39th and final space flight.
"Space ... the final frontier," Mr Shatner said in the recorded message, to the backing of the cult show's theme tune.
"These have been the voyages of the space shuttle Discovery. Her 30-year mission; to seek out new science, to build new outposts, to bring nations together on the final frontier, to boldly go and do what no spacecraft has done before."
Station commander Scott Kelly told the shuttle's crew during a farewell ceremony: "We're going to miss you but most of all, we're going to miss Discovery."
The final flights of Discovery's sister ships, Endeavour and Atlantis, are planned for April and June.
Nasa is retiring the fleet after 30 years of service due to high operating expenses and to develop new spacecraft that can fly beyond the station's 220-mile-high orbit.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Strange-News/Discovery-Space-Shuttle-Captain-Kirk-Actor-William-Shatner-Records-Wake-Up-Call-For-Shuttles-Crew/Article/201103115947440?f=rss
UK, Monday March 07, 2011
Richard Williams, Sky News Online
"Star Trek" legend William Shatner provided the wake-up call for the crew of space shuttle Discovery - before it departed for its final ever flight.
A specially recorded message from the actor replaced the music traditionally played to wake up the shuttle's crew on their last day at the International Space Station.
It came ahead of Discovery's departure following a nine-day visit to the space station, where it had delivered a new storage room, a prototype robot and tons of supplies.
The shuttle is now on its way back to Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where it will arrive on Wednesday after its 39th and final space flight.
"Space ... the final frontier," Mr Shatner said in the recorded message, to the backing of the cult show's theme tune.
"These have been the voyages of the space shuttle Discovery. Her 30-year mission; to seek out new science, to build new outposts, to bring nations together on the final frontier, to boldly go and do what no spacecraft has done before."
Station commander Scott Kelly told the shuttle's crew during a farewell ceremony: "We're going to miss you but most of all, we're going to miss Discovery."
The final flights of Discovery's sister ships, Endeavour and Atlantis, are planned for April and June.
Nasa is retiring the fleet after 30 years of service due to high operating expenses and to develop new spacecraft that can fly beyond the station's 220-mile-high orbit.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Strange-News/Discovery-Space-Shuttle-Captain-Kirk-Actor-William-Shatner-Records-Wake-Up-Call-For-Shuttles-Crew/Article/201103115947440?f=rss