Did Bat Hitch a Ride to Space?

[TangoWhiskey]

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=7107251

Closeup of a bat clinging to the fuel tank of the Space Shuttle Discovery during the launch Sunday, March 15, 2009.

 

[etsisk]

bless his little heart...

 

[jason]

Now THAT would have been one hell of a ride.

YEEEEEE HAWWWWWWW....

 

[vontresc]

I don't know what the L/D of a bat is, but that would be one hell of an aerotow

Man I REALLY need to get back up in my glider

 

[tonycondon]

they said they couldnt determine if the bat was still clinging to the space shuttle...

since it started out clinging to the *external* tank, id find it pretty hard to believe it was still attached to the *shuttle*

 

[mikea]

The answer is no, because of what Tony said, and it wasn't Superbat.

It is very likely in the Atlantic though. The question is whether it stayed attached to the fuel tank.

 

[RMCN172RG]

At what point would you let go of that tow?

 

[etsisk]

even if you could fly, you'd be fried as the rest of that thing went on up past ya...

 

[flyingcheesehead]

even if you could fly, you'd be fried as the rest of that thing went on up past ya...

Or, if you managed to hang on all the way until tank separation, you'd fry on reentry, along with the tank...

Actually, post-SRB separation, you'd have a much better chance of not getting fried when you let go. The flames from the SSME's aren't very long and you'd be somewhat separated from them.

 

[poadeleted20]

Wonder what "Yeeeee-haw!" sounds like in ultrasound.

 

[mikea]

Or, if you managed to hang on all the way until tank separation, you'd fry on reentry, along with the tank...

Actually, post-SRB separation, you'd have a much better chance of not getting fried when you let go. The flames from the SSME's aren't very long and you'd be somewhat separated from them.

Provided you can hang on through the sonic transition.

 

[steingar]

Thing probably got shook off the second they fired up. Not like they can hold on against much more than 1G.

 

[bbchien]

At what point would you let go of that tow?

Well, it would have to be before he froze in place.....

 

[ApacheBob]

Thing probably got shook off the second they fired up. Not like they can hold on against much more than 1G.

Ghoulish! I doubt it got fried as was suggested early. I expect that it departed the platform when the perch got a wee bit noisy.
Perhaps it was a vampire that was attempting to attack the astronauts!
:}

 

[Dean]

Wonder what "Yeeeee-haw!" sounds like in ultrasound.

Or Hay, watch this!

 

[ScottM]

This is what I am worried about