Geek Habitat

Shows how busy I am these days — I didn’t even realize the Shuttle was launching today! (STS-120) Oops.

Notable facts about this mission:

• George Lucas was present at the launch of STS-120. Why? The lightsaber used by character Luke Skywalker in 1983’s “Return of the Jedi” is flying aboard STS-120 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the first “Star Wars” film.
• Astronaut Pamela Melroy is the mission’s commander — only the second woman ever to command a Shuttle flight. (Astronaut Eileen Collins of NASA’s first “Return to Flight” mission, was the first. Collins was also the first-ever female Shuttle pilot). Melroy, like Collins, piloted two previous Shuttle flights prior to assuming the role of Commander.
• This mission is the first time in history that the Commander of the Shuttle-on-orbit as well as the International Space Station are both female — astronaut Peggy Whitson, launched to the ISS on October 10 via Soyuz TMA-11, is commanding ISS Expedition 16.
• Per a CNN article, “Discovery and its crew are embarking on a two-week mission that is considered the most challenging and complex in the nine years of orbital assembly of the international space station.“
• A near-record five spacewalks will be performed during this mission.

In other news, upwards of 500,000 people flee California wildfires. More than twenty fires are currently raging.

Full-size image
Photo courtesy of NASA’s MODIS Rapid Response System satellite. Together, the two MODIS-deployed satellites image the entire Earth every 1 to 2 days!