CNN/AP: NASA keeps quiet on mission mishap

[DeepModem Mom]

NASA keeps quiet on mission mishap
Monday, April 17, 2006

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Saying the information is too sensitive, NASA announced Friday that it will not release its report on the failed rendezvous of two spacecraft in what would have been the first such maneuver without human intervention.

NASA plans to release a summary of why the DART spacecraft did not complete its mission last year, but the full 70-page document contains details protected by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, space agency spokesman Michael Braukus said.

Launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in April 2005, the 800-pound Demonstration for Autonomous Rendezvous Technology spacecraft successfully located the Pentagon satellite it was to rendezvous with and flew within 300 feet of it.

The project ended prematurely, however, when the spacecraft shut down halfway into the 24-hour mission and failed to complete several automated tasks, including circling the satellite and making close approaches.

The $110 million project was meant to test whether robots can perform some of the tasks astronauts currently must do....

http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/04/17/spacecraft.mishap.ap/index.html

[ContraBass Black]

1. Spacecraft, Arms Treaty, secrets...

Am I mistaken to think that this might indicate some sinister illegality?

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Sounds fishy. nt

[SpiralHawk]

3. "All your truth are belong to us." _ BushCo Big Government

Ya goitta laugh at the Republicons.

They complain all the time about big gov, then they get in power and they give America Massive Gov -- with Secrecy.

Why at bunch of lying hypocrites.

[Baclava]

4. Rebel robots?

How do we know they're not out there breeding new generations of human-hating bots?

I say nuke them...now. Before this rebellion gets out of hand.

[Dogmudgeon]

5. I think it was Aliens

Those damned Mexicans are ruining our whole country.

Let's not make that wall 1000 miles long, but 1000 miles high!

--p!
Note to the humor-impaired: This has been an official joke post.
In conformance with the desires of People for the Ethical Treatment of Punctuation,
NO smileys were used to post this joke post.

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. International Traffic in Arms Regulations

ITAR protects sensitive technology, secrets, parts, materiel and processes that the gub'ment would rather other gub'ments not have. Anyone who works in energy, technology, transportation, aerospace or defense and maybe financial related industries and businesses is familiar with ITAR. If a thing might have dual-purpose applications, ITAR steps in.

If this NASA report includes details such as "...the Framus guidance receptorator that interfaces with the Johnson Rod Actuator (see fig. 14) failed to receive instruction from the Fleabotz 9000 processor running Acronymicus code V 11.05..." then you can bet it's protected under ITAR.

I doubt that NASA would want to secure 6+ billion non-disclosure agreements.

[alfredo]

7. Isn't there a treaty banning the militarization of space?

[ConcernedCanuk]

9. USA broke every treaty it ever made - just ask the natives

.
.
.

USA is omnipotent - dincha get that memo?

United Nations said NO to the Iraq invasion

but the USA did it anyways

USA is now known as the "Bully on the Block"

attacking weaklings for their own agenda

cuz we all know that Iraq was FAR from being a world power or a threat

BUT

we STILL sit by and let it happen

Bush is doing what Hitler did - but the world got together to fight Hitler

What is wrong with us?

I don't have the answer . . .

(sigh)

[alfredo]

11. There is hope, the bush friendly Gallup Poll has him at

36%. Now we need to turn that dissatisfaction in to action at the polls. We need the majority to take him and his administration out of office. Even if there are a few left, the message will be loud and clear.

[EST]

8. Wow! Peacenik robots!

Liberal satellites, batman!

[IndianaGreen]

10. DART is supposed to destroy other nations' satellites

by coming into close contact with them and self-destructing. The entire program is another step in the weaponization of space. Looks like the experiment failed!