Wednesday, March 18, 2009
By Clara Moskowitz


A bat stowed away on the orange external fuel tank of the space shuttle Discovery during its launch.

A small bat that was spotted blasting off with the space shuttle Sunday and clinging to the back side of Discovery's external fuel tank apparently held on throughout the launch.

NASA hoped the bat would fly away before the spacecraft's Sunday evening liftoff, but photos from the launch now show the bat holding on for dear life throughout the fiery ride.

"He did change the direction he was pointing from time to time throughout countdown but ultimately never flew away," states a NASA memo obtained by SPACE.com. "Infrared imagery shows he was alive and not frozen like many would think ... Liftoff imagery analysis confirmed that he held on until at least the vehicle cleared [the] tower before we lost sight of him."

Officials at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., where Discovery launched from a seaside pad, said the bat's outlook after launch appears grim.

"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," NASA officials said Tuesday. "The animal likely perished quickly during Discovery's climb into orbit."



Because the Kennedy Space Center is also home to Florida's Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, NASA's launch pads are equipped with several countermeasures, including warning sirens, to ward off birds and other wildlife.

Spacebats

Sounds like the start of a 50s B movie...

the Solar Radiation will Mutate the Bat and Bela Lugosi will Rise From the Grave and together They Will Dominate the Earth BWAHAHAHA

that's just batty lol

I for one welcome my new Lugosi over lords =D

A Space Bat Tribute!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ibq2IwznCgc

do you think the bats family will sue

that Made Me Sad