Garbage Glasnost

Saturday, Apr. 01, 2006 - 1:08 a.m.

I'm posting something a little Bay Area specific today, so I beg the readership to indulge me, because I just thought it was so interesting, the rest of you might want to see it. I had no idea about this aspect of the space program before, and I'm very glad so many civilians are given an opportunity to experience such a unique part of the workings of the ISS:

SPACE TRASH TO LAND AT SFO

What goes up, must come down.

In this case, what's going up is a Soyuz spacecraft carrying the replacement crew for the International Space Station.

What's coming down is the past six months of recyclables and garbage, part of the ISS/Airport Exchange Program, what the ISS crews call, "Garbage Glasnost."

Then it will be Commander Pavel Vinogradov and Flight Engineer Jeff Williams' turn to partcipate in the project. Both recyclable, non-recyclable, and organic waste is collected in the unmanned pod, for later separation and study.

"There's a lot that can be learned by studying the waste byproducts generated by long-term missions in space," Williams said.

Scientists hope to develop low-residue foodstuffs that could find widespread use in survival and emergency kits, as well as on the battlefield. And new packaging methods could eventually reduce the amount of garbage generated on the ground.

The pod was launched shortly after the replacement crew arrived, approximately at 0420 GMT, and is expected to land at SFO Saturday night, just after 7:30 PM. Weather permitting, the pod's re-entry should be visible across the entire western portion of the United States, and space enthusiasts are sure to be on hand with their binoculars and cameras to observe the rare event.

Due to heightened security, all inbound and outbound flights will be rerouted to either San Jose International or Oakland International Airport until the recovery phase is complete. Airport officials advise travelers to allow extra time and to call their air carrier for details on any changes or delays.

I'll be looking up on Saturday night!

---

Well, March came and went, and there has indeed been a record set here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

There were more rainy days in March of this year than in any other since we began keeping track. The previous record was set in 1904.

---

I think that's it. Have a good Saturday!

---

what you missed - what's next - leave a note
first post - cast page - diaryrings - top ten

THE LEGAL STUFF: All content on this site that was created by me is copyright 2003-infinity by Brin Marie McLaughlin. Steal my stuff and I'll squash you like a bug. All incoming email or any other form of communication with me is subject to publication or other distribution by me in whole or in part at my sole discretion. This diary features the sole opinions and experiences of one person, namely me, the person who is paying for this space. In the interest of safety and accountability, no anonymous input will ever be allowed here, ever, for any reason in the entire history of ever. Whenever there is a comments section appearing in this diary, it's to be considered part of my paid presence on the web, and shall be used by my readership to supplement the things I have written here with relevant information in a polite manner. Comments that do not fall in that category are subject to deletion at my whim. Your visit to my diary along with your use of my comments section constitutes the understanding of this statement. Anything else on these pages including any comments belongs to whoever created it. All external links are current as of the date of the entry in which they are first featured, but at no other time. News excerpts used here are for educational purposes and are permitted under the Fair Use Doctrine. Hold hands when you cross the street, and play nice.