Saturday, 8 August 2015

Space junk



8 August

The bucket list game so many folk like to play is really of no interest to me; but having said that, I do have one thing that I have always wanted to do ever since I watched Flash Gordon on the telly, and yes I know it ages me well. Since then I have been fascinated by all things outer space, so it shouldn’t be all that much of a surprise when I say that I have always wanted to go out into space. Then I found Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke and so many other writers, all filling me up with us tales of space adventure.

One day I was home on leave and I sat watching telly which was showing a slow-mo version of an Apollo launce. The whole launce from ignition to clearing the tower was extended to around 90 seconds. I sat there total out of it, wrapped up in the whole thing, and not aware of what was going on around me. Once it was over and I did become aware that mam, dad, Dave and an uncle who lived with us, were laughing at me. Was I embarrassed? No chance!

However, something I hadn’t thought about at that time was the amount of junk that has been left flying around up there after all the years of rocket launches. Now is has become a major issue for everyone nation that is involved in space. Not so long ago a Russian satellite came back to Earth over Canada in a fiery display of its death. There is so much stuff up there now that collisions are a real danger.

The Space Station is being hit by tiny particles of stuff that leave holes in the hull the size of bullet holes. It has been lucky so far that nothing large has slammed into it. And that was the whole point of the Horizon show earlier this week on BBC2, the amount of junk and the risk of collision and the possible problems from that. But I got thinking about it a bit more …

UFOs folks; I have said on here I believe they are real, but do they carry aliens looking for punch-up with us weakling Earthlings. That I am not so sure about. But let’s for the sake of argument these beasties do exist; would their home planet’s space be as junk strewn as ours is? Perhaps it isn’t cos they’ve found a way to clear it all up. Again, if they are real, how do they manage to get through our rubbish filled inner space. Hopefully they will not be blood thirsty thugs but friendly folk who can help us all live together in peace. The movie, The Day That The Earth Stood Still come, to mind.

OK, coming back to terra firma then … I was sat watching telly yesterday afternoon and I heard some shouting going on across from us. Pausing the show, I looked and saw our 86 year old friend Kath lying flat out on the path outside her place. The paramedics arrived after about 20 minutes and soon had her off to A&E. Her next door neighbour Val, went up to the hospital with her but wasn’t told anything before she came home. Val has just been over to see us and let us know that Kath has broken her right hip and is having a hip replacement sometime today. It seems that Kath can’t remember anything about her fall, which I think is for her really.  

Today’s photo … 

A black swan, Bourton I think.

Today’s funny …

 A policeman was taking a vandalism report at an elementary school when he was interrupted by a six year old girl. She looked up and down at his uniform and asked, "Are you a policeman?"
"Yes, I am," he said.
"My mother told me that if I ever needed help I should ask a policeman. Is that right," the girl asked.
"Yes it is," said the policeman.
The girl extended her foot to the policeman and said, "OK, then, would you tie my shoe?"            

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