Spaced Out Once Again!

Space Shuttle Returns Teacher to Space

Twenty one years after the Challenger tragedy, the Teacher in Space program once more got off the ground on Wednesday evening with teacher Barbara Morgan, who was the original backup teacher-astronaut for Christ McAuliffe, on board the Shuttle Endeavour. Endeavour will be the 22nd Shuttle to visit the International Space Station.

The STS-118 crew recently took a break from traing to pose for their official portrait. Pictured from the left are Rick Mastracchio, Barbara R. Morgan, pilot Charles Hobaugh, mission commander Scott Kelly, Tracy Caldwell, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Dave Williams and Alvin Drew. Photos by NASA.

Russia Claims North Pole: Santa to be Sent to Siberian Gulag

In a related story, Russia sent a mini sub to the bottom of the Arctic Sea and planted a flag at the North Pole claiming the rich oil and gas resources as Russian property. Meanwhile, U.S. environazis continue to block ecologically safe U.S. recovering of oil in a tiny portion of the huge Artic National Wildlife Refuge.

Speaking of space, perhaps we should remind Russia that the U.S. has planted several flags on the Moon. Or do we need to send a mission up there to spray paint a huge American Flag on the surface visible from Earth?

(21 April 1972) --- Astronaut John W. Young, commander of the Apollo 16 lunar landing mission, leaps from the lunar surface as he salutes the United States flag at the Descartes landing site during the first Apollo 16 extravehicular activity (EVA-1). More from NASA's Apollo page.