A era comes, as they like to say, to a end.

March 22, 2001 9:25 PM

A era comes, as they like to say, to a end. The final burn of the Progress cargo ship attached to MIR is underway; she's a comin' down. Obvious CNN link attached; NASA likely swamped; other good links welcome...
posted by baylink (18 comments total)

how about Space.com?
posted by pnevares at 9:34 PM on March 22, 2001

Yep, and especially this page.
posted by baylink at 9:36 PM on March 22, 2001

... which has broken advertising javascript on it. Webmaster notified, assuming webmaster@ goes somewhere...
posted by baylink at 9:40 PM on March 22, 2001

Goodie, now we'll find out if that space fungus really does burn up upon reentry. Let's hope so.
posted by megnut at 9:50 PM on March 22, 2001

It doesn't; all available addresses bounce. Owel...
posted by baylink at 9:51 PM on March 22, 2001

baylink, it's working fine for me now. cool.
posted by pnevares at 9:51 PM on March 22, 2001

Didn't you guys ever read Andromeda Strain? :-)

Yeah; it's working for me, too.

27 miles.
posted by baylink at 9:55 PM on March 22, 2001

Why in the *hell* doesn't anyone have cameras pointed at this damned thing? NASA. USAF. CNN. *Someone*?
posted by baylink at 9:55 PM on March 22, 2001

Hugh Williams of CNN on Fiji has tape; he's heading for an uplink.
posted by baylink at 9:57 PM on March 22, 2001

She's down. CNN is reporting that the major portions of the Mir space station have touched down as of 0659UTC in the Southwest Pacific Ocean.
posted by baylink at 9:59 PM on March 22, 2001

Did it ring the Taco Bell?
posted by netbros at 10:04 PM on March 22, 2001

And the most recent update on the story page at CNN no longer shows a track. I guess it's official, guys.
posted by baylink at 10:04 PM on March 22, 2001

Whether we get to eat free is, as yet, unknown. But you gotta admit it was a killer promo...
posted by baylink at 10:07 PM on March 22, 2001

And in case anyone's ever wondered why the government gets so nervous about private enterprise space flight: if it comes down and kills someone, *the US Government* is responsible.
posted by baylink at 10:09 PM on March 22, 2001

Oh, and finders keepers: CNN's space expert says that practice has been that the Soviet Union (and Russia) have disclaimed all knowledge of previously found landed objects; so if you're reading this in the SouthPac, and you find something, we'll see you on eBay...

unless eBay gets wimpy.
posted by baylink at 10:11 PM on March 22, 2001

... and my compliments to the CNN editor who put together the show close. Very nice.

Good night, all.
posted by baylink at 10:33 PM on March 22, 2001

That last burn took it down really fast. It looks to me like it may have been a little unexpectedly west of where they hoped to splash down, though still well within the designated target area. Even so, Mirreentry.com should have gotten some good footage from their plane.
posted by dhartung at 1:08 AM on March 23, 2001

Well, officially, no free tacos. But if you want to buy two for 99 cents, feel free to do so. I think I'll stick with Jack-in-the-Box's fried tacos. We don't need no stinkin' special to get them for 99 cents.
posted by one.louder.ash! at 2:52 AM on March 23, 2001