What a pleasant surprise! Phobos/Grunt news after all this time.
The truth is, I need some distraction tonight...it's been a tough couple of days...
We've been hunkered down during the biggest storm period of the Winter...avalanche warnings were up, as were the winds during the storm period.
Today three skiers decided to do a little backcountry skiing in Ward Canyon, despite the heavy snowfall and wind loading that caused the Sierra Avalanche Center to post High Avalanche Danger first thing in the morning. The lure of Champagne Powder can be hard to resist...especially this lean Winter...
The three found their avalanche, and one skier was swept 300 feet downslope. Luckily two were unhurt...one skied out for help, one stayed with the victim. I saw the story in @CorduroyPlanet's Twitter timeline. The local paper had the story that lit up all the regional news outlets from Sacramento to Reno.
On the evening news, a Placer County Sheriff's Deputy said: "The victim was wrapped around a tree with several fractures"
After my "evening nap" I saw the tweet announcing the victim's passing...so sad...Unofficial Squaw had the story. Avalanches are serious business, especially in the uncontrolled backcountry...
So, it was a happy distraction when I discovered this Phobos/Grunt story at Space Safety Magazine.
I find it disconcerting that the only manned space program on Earth has returned to Soviet Era Secrecy. American astronauts ride Russian rockets and spacecraft to and from the International Space Station. Only a willingly blind fool doesn't see trouble on the horizon.
I pray that the next few years are uneventful. NASA won't have manned launch capability until 2015 at the earliest. Godspeed, indeed...
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