New Details Emerge on Sputnik 2

MIR COSMONAUTS FOUND ANCIENT SATELLITE

Kosmodrome, Russia (AT) - Russian officials disclosed that a long
lost
Soviet satellite and not a resupply tug was the vehicle which crashed
into
the side of the MIR space station in 1998.


The accident became a lightning rod for media attention on the
venerable
facility. However the announcement that the object that crashed into
the side of MIR was in fact Sputnik 2 rocked the scientific
community.


The satellite was believed to have burned up in the atmosphere
several
days after its 1957 launch. Russian scientists now admit that it had
remained in high orbit for almost forty years until it impacted into
the side of
the space station.


Sputnik 2 achieved great fame for being the first vehicle to carry
life into outer space. The one thousand pound spacecraft put "Laika",
a 98 lb.
Rottweiler/Terrier mix into earth orbit. Laika was reported to have
perished
when the satellite's thermal cooling unit malfunctioned.


Declassified documents reveal that for the cosmonauts of MIR the
arrival of Sputnik 2 proved to be fortunate. Cosmonauts found the
frozen body of
Laika within its ancient container and used to dog's still fresh hide
to
complement their own food stuffs. The MIR food tug had malfunctioned
the week
before and had left them with a dwindling supply of food. "The
consumption of
Laika probably saved their lives," admitted a top Russian scientist.


Laika was awarded the Order of Lenin posthumously in 1958. It was
announced at a press conference yesterday that she would now receive
the Order
of Yeltsin for her timely assistance of the MIR cosmonauts. But that
was not the
final honor bestowed upon the cosmic canine. Vowing not to let her
bravery be
forgotten, the scientist vowed to clone DNA from Laika's body, "so
that we might
have many more such animals to bring into outer space and to feed our
men and
women."

wrote in message
...
MIR COSMONAUTS FOUND ANCIENT SATELLITE

Kosmodrome, Russia (AT) - Russian officials disclosed that a long
lost
Soviet satellite and not a resupply tug was the vehicle which crashed
into
the side of the MIR space station in 1998.


The accident became a lightning rod for media attention on the
venerable
facility. However the announcement that the object that crashed into
the side of MIR was in fact Sputnik 2 rocked the scientific
community.

This is utter rubbish, a lame attempt at April Fools humor.

From Wikipedia, "The orbit of Sputnik 2 decayed and it reentered Earth's
atmosphere on 14 April 1958 after 162 days in orbit." Astronautix.com says
that Sputink 2 "remained in orbit a total of 162 days, then burned up in the
atmosphere on April 14, 1958."

Jeff
--
"Many things that were acceptable in 1958 are no longer acceptable today.
My own standards have changed too." -- Freeman Dyson

Jeff Findley wrote:
This is utter rubbish, a lame attempt at April Fools humor.


Actually, I thought it was a pretty good April Fool's joke.
I like the "Order Of Yeltsin" - probably a medal incorporating two
crossed vodka bottles in its design. :-)

Pat