Friday Funday #FFD Roundup, February 13, 2009

For Today's Friday Funday #FFD activity, we shared fun space factoids and little-known bits of trivia via Twitter, with relevant links. Here's what we came up with.....


@glxp: #FFD since it's Friday the 13th, how about this little tidbit: 04.13.2029 is the possible impact of 2004 MN4 into Earth: http://bit.ly/TEEST

@amoroso: #FFD US flags left by Apollo on Moon were apparently bought at Sears by 3 NASA secretaries during lunch hours http://is.gd/jrnS

@quarkspin: #FFD Did you know that there is an office at MSFC that coordinates observing lunar meteoroid impacts? http://tinyurl.com/5sqchw

@joebarone: Astronauts eat tortillas instead of bread in space because they don't make crumbs (dangerous to equipment) http://tinyurl.com/bnltow #FFD

@quarkspin: #FFD The New Horizons spacecraft has nine special objects on board: http://tinyurl.com/5e2cgc (Thx to @collectSPACE for article.)

@pomerantz: #FFD. Contrary to popular opinion, this space movie is NOT based on actual events. http://bit.ly/obeRg ; P

@joebarone: #FFD "Ham", the first hominid in space, is buried in front of the International Space Hall of Fame http://tinyurl.com/bttzun

@supernat: #FFD The movie "Space Camp" was filmed in Huntsville (where I worked) not FL as is portrayed: http://tinyurl.com/bjxbt6

@spacekiwi: #FFD Bill Pickering, “Mr. JPL,” the father of American space exploration, was born and raised in New Zealand http://tinyurl.com/ct6g49

@joebarone: #FFD Did you know NASA had considered sending manned missions to orbit Venus? I think the still should! http://tinyurl.com/d3qs33

@quarkspin: #FFD The squirrel monkey "Miss Baker" lived out her days at USSRC and is buried on the grounds there: http://tinyurl.com/bzuocd

@quarkspin: #FFD The planetarium dome of the VBAS is actually the forward bulkhead cover for the S-II stage of a (test) Saturn V! www.vbas.org

@robertpearlman: #FFD First satellite to be ejected from an orbiting vehicle and recovered midair was Discoverer XIV, 1960: http://tinyurl.com/dfzhwd

@whitelabelspace: #FFD A year on the planet Mercury is half the length of its day. Maybe a bit to well known. (goes hunting)

@quarkspin: #FFD Saturn I-B and Saturn V stages were often moved by barge during the Apollo program. MSFC dock facility: http://tinyurl.com/c965qz

@amoroso: #FFD ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli inspired a character in a novel by Oriana Fallaci, author of "If the Sun Dies" http://is.gd/jsZx