A bat that was clinging to space shuttle Discoverys external fuel tank
during the countdown to launch the STS-119 mission remained with the
spacecraft as it cleared the tower, analysts at NASAs Kennedy Space
Center concluded.
Based on images and video, a wildlife expert
who provides support to the center said the small creature was a free
tail bat that likely had a broken left wing and some problem with its
right shoulder or wrist. The animal likely perished quickly during
Discoverys climb into orbit...
Launch
controllers spotted the bat after it had clawed onto the foam of the
external tank as Discovery stood at Launch Pad 39A. The temperature
never dropped below 60 degrees at that part of the tank, and infrared
cameras showed that the bat was 70 degrees through launch.
The
final inspection team that surveys the outside of the shuttle and tank
for signs of ice buildup observed the small bat, hoping it would wake up
and fly away before the shuttle engines ignited...
Sources: Spacebat Facebook Group, Spacebat Memorial www.space-bat.com, Gizmodo.
Text from the "About" at the link.
I feel like a fool here, but I teared up a little. Maybe it was the bagpipes. Maybe it is my experience hand feeding an injured Hawaiian bat that could not be released. Or maybe it is because bats are such remarkable creatures. They really do deserve the same respect we give to dogs and elephants and all the other creatures.
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