JohnShepler.com - Click Here to visit the John Shepler home page.

Cash in your old cell phone for real money. Click Here to find out how much.
Cash For Old Cell Phones

 

Special NASA Report Santa brings Christmas Greetings

For Release: Dec. 20, 2001

KSC RELEASE NO. 139 - 01

SANTA CLAUS EXPECTED TO VISIT KSC TO INSTALL X-MAS ROBOTIC ARM

KSC officials have learned that Santa Claus is planning a late-night landing at the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) to install a new robotic toy distribution aid on his sleigh. Although KSC employees will be at home enjoying the holidays, the SLF will be left in full operational mode to accommodate the world-renowned sleigh commander, who has been granted special security clearance.

In response to a touch of arthritis in his joints, Santa spent months creating an EXtra-Manual Aid System (X-MAS). While the reindeer propulsion team is grazing in the lush grass adjacent to the runway, Santa will install X-MAS on the sleigh's midsection, directly between the cockpit and the cargo area. X-MAS will allow Santa to select the most appropriate toy at each child's home without having to reach backward, preventing arthritis flare-ups brought on by overextending his elbows in the chill night air.

X-MAS was inspired by the Canadian-built Space Station Remote Manipulator System (SSRMS), installed on the International Space Station in April 2001 during Mission STS-100. A longer, stronger and more flexible version of the Shuttle's robotic arm, the SSRMS is 56 feet long when fully extended and has seven motorized joints. It is self-relocatable with a special latching end effector that can be attached to complementary ports located throughout the Station's exterior surfaces.

"If all goes according to plan, Santa will perform the Ground Integrated Functional Test (GIFT) immediately after installation of the X-MAS just to ensure that it works," said Tip Talone, director of the ISS/Payload Processing Directorate. "Our folks here gave Santa some pointers on testing methods. This means the families in the local area could be the first to receive their Christmas gifts with the new system."

Cloaked in darkness and miles away from the prying eyes of children, the SLF is an ideal North American rest stop for Santa and his team of reindeer. First opened for flights in 1976, it was specially designed for returning Space Shuttle orbiters. With its 15,000-foot-long and 300-foot-wide paved runway, the SLF is longer and wider than runways found in most commercial airports. Typically, 16 powerful xenon lights, each producing up to 1 billion candlepower, light the SLF during nighttime landing operations. However, so that Santa can retain his anonymity, the lights are always left off on Christmas Eve.

"It doesn't cost the government or taxpayers a penny," said a security supervisor who wished to remain anonymous. "We don't know for sure that he stops here every year. But there's too much ice in the North Pole for him to properly install the X-MAS. And since he did contact our security office to request clearance to land this Christmas Eve, I wouldn't be a bit surprised if he stops here."

Thanks to Bill Johnson at NASA for the above press release.

See if Commission River is right for you. Click Here.

Also visit these related sites:

Read this Special Report from NASA:Santa to Help Test New Control Tower You'll also enjoy Santa and KSC Landing Team Set for Possible Christmas Eve Contingency.

NASA - For more information on Santa directly from NASA, use the search box on this page to search for "Santa." You will be amazed how much Santa is involved in the space program.

NORAD Santa Tracking - The North American Air Defense Command will be tracking Santa's flight on Christmas Eve. Click on the flag appropriate to your language.

Santa and his Reindeer - Track Santa and his famous reindeer as they fly around the world this Christmas Eve. Also get the inside scoop on the sleigh and Donner's real name.

Web of Christmas - From around the world we say Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Some surprising background on our holiday traditions, plus Christmas greetings in a hundred languages.

Find DSL and Cable Internet services. Click Here.High Speed Internet Service - FREE instant online availability and pricing check for DSL and Cable Internet service. Take half a minute and see what's available for your location.

 

Articles Portfolio - Policy & Contact Info - Arcade Games - Doing Good - Poster Store - Products & Services - Special Offers - John Shepler .com

 

© 2001 - 2008 by John E. Shepler. Linking to this article is welcome, but no online republication is permitted. Print media republication rights are available at reasonable rates. Contact me at: John (at) JohnShepler.com

Sponsored by Long Distance Rate Finder .com - We proudly offer T1 Explainer, Toasty Leads, Ethernet Today, Shop For Ethernet, DS3 Today, T1 T3 Today, Shop For DS3, Small Office PBX, MPLS, DS3 Bandwidth, Toll Free Numbers, T1 VAR Partners, Recycle Cell Phones, T1 VAR Network, Tune Cell, Affordable VPN, Affordable VoIP, Can I Get DSL?, Fiber Optic Network, T1 Service, T1 Line, SONET, Ethernet, OC48, Long Distance Service, T3, DS3, T1, OC3 Service, OC12 Prices, Prepaid Cell Phones, High Speed Internet Service, Sheep for T1, Talk on Talk, Telecom Explainer, New Home Phone, MegaTrunks, Cell Phone Plans Finder, Gigapacket & Gigapackets, Gigabit Ethernet, Enterprise VoIP, T3 Rex, T1-Rex, Call Bird, and T1 Rex. Please Visit Us at LDRF Home and Business Phone Service. We are independent agents for Commission River and Shop For T1, which offer an excellent Affiliate Opportunity.

First Published: December 21 ,2001

Last Updated: April 6, 2008

You are visiting http://www.JohnShepler.com

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

Hosted by Arbor Hosting - For fast, reliable, low cost hosting services, check out Inexpensive Web Hosting.