From the “it’s just wierd enough to include as a Friday afternoon posting” files, this was sent to me on IM…
Spacesuit floats off to become a satellite – Space News – MSNBC.com
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A worn-out spacesuit, stuffed with trash and radio gear, was pushed away from the international space station on Friday to become the world’s strangest-looking ham-radio satellite.
Complete with helmet and gloves, the spacesuit floated past the Russian section of the international space station, 220 miles (350 kilometers) above Earth, before rotating away feet first and beginning its orbit around the globe. The sight was an eerie echo of science-fiction nightmares dating back to “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
“Do svidaniya … Goodbye, Mr. Smith,” Russian flight engineer Valery Tokarev said as he and U.S. commander Bill McArthur began a six-hour spacewalk to perform maintenance and photography tasks.