Bat Boards Discovery, Stowaway Unlikely to Have Survived

Posted by Urbanist in Animal, Travel & Places on March 18, 2009 at 9:43 pm


Hitchhikers in space … wasn’t there a book about that? An apparently injured bat was expected to simply fly away when the spacecraft gunned the engines before take-off but inexplicably clung to the outside of the ship as it made its way up. It is speculated that the bat may have been injured and unable to fly away. There was, needless to say, no sign of the bat when the Discovery docked at the International Space Station.

NASA officials noticed the bat before shuttle’s liftoff and brought in a wildlife expert to look at video images of it. The expert said it appeared to be a free-tailed bat that probably had a broken left wing and an injured right shoulder or wrist.

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18 comments to "Bat Boards Discovery, Stowaway Unlikely to Have Survived"

  1. juan lindo
    March 18th, 2009 at 10:19 pm

    that's a hell of a way to go out. i can only imagine the feeling and view and taste and pressure. if you gotta go that's one way to trump. of course they could've just moved it and told it it happened to land on a giant missile that is headed out of space where there is no life insofar as you will travel.

  2. SenorMysterioso
    March 18th, 2009 at 10:28 pm

    He knew his wing was broken and wanted to live out his life long dream of going to space :)

    Hopefully he wasnt exposed to cosmic rays or we may be seeing him again

  3. LisaL
    March 18th, 2009 at 10:40 pm

    Awwww, poor lil fella.

  4. attilla
    March 19th, 2009 at 12:03 am

    Baaaaaaaaaats in spaaaaaaaaace....

  5. Evilbeagle
    March 19th, 2009 at 4:02 am

    Poor little guy. At least he went out in style and is probably the talk of all his bat friends.

  6. Bape Nerd
    March 19th, 2009 at 4:10 am

    nice trip for the little guy, wonder where it is now..

  7. SweetMonkeyCreek
    March 19th, 2009 at 6:00 am

    If that guy doesn't come back angry, shooting radioactive lasers, and the sze of a Buick...I will be REALLY disappointed.

  8. phoulx
    March 19th, 2009 at 6:41 am

    Hello NASA? This is PETA calling.

  9. Johnny Cat
    March 19th, 2009 at 11:01 am

    "Ouch, I think I sprained my arm. I'll just sit here for awhile and let it heal. Wait, wtf is this noise, rumbling? Ahhhh!"

    poor thing.

  10. dorkhero
    March 19th, 2009 at 11:46 am

    For one brief moment in time that bat flew higher, faster, and further than any bat had flown before.

    He was at the top of the pyramid. He had the right stuff.

  11. Evilbeagle
    March 19th, 2009 at 11:50 am

    With a broken bone he would have died a slow, painful little bat death. This was the way to go.

  12. webwench
    March 19th, 2009 at 12:28 pm

    an ode to Space Bat
    surly bonds slipped, stars in his
    windblown little eyes

  13. Johnny Cat
    March 19th, 2009 at 1:54 pm

    nice haiku!

  14. kilna
    March 19th, 2009 at 4:51 pm

    A true hero...

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

  15. Vaalseun
    March 20th, 2009 at 2:03 pm

    I have had it with these motherf***ing bats on this motherf***ing shuttle!

  16. Snake Oil Baron
    March 20th, 2009 at 8:18 pm

    Vaalseun said:

    "I have had it with these motherf***ing bats on this motherf***ing shuttle!"

    I liked that.

    As for the bat, I would have chosen that as the way to go too but still - poor little guy. I hope Bat Heaven has some juicy bugs waiting for him (sinner bugs from Bug Hell obviously - where all the bugs that fly into peoples teeth on roller-coasters go).

  17. james braselton
    March 21st, 2009 at 9:15 pm

    HI THERE I DONT THINK ANY THING WOULD STOP THAT BAT LAST I HAVE HEARD THAT THE BAT WAS INSIDE AIRLOCK 4 CHAMBER INSIDE THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION I DONT KNOW HOW TRUE THAT IS BUT I HAVE NASA TV AT MY MOMS SHOP AND THOUGHT I SAW THE BAT FLYING AROUND COULD THE BAT SNOOK IN WHILE THE HANGER WAS RETRACTING WHILE THE SHUTTEL DOOR STILL OPEN

  18. semi
    March 24th, 2009 at 9:01 pm

    Here's the latest:

    http://www.universetoday.com/2009/03/17/the-discovery-bats-fate-is-con firmed/

    "So what happened? If the bat wasn't frozen to the shuttle, why would he remain stuck on the external fuel tank? Surely he should have flown away when the shuttle powered up and vibrated before lift off? According to a NASA press release, the bat may have had little choice but to cling onto the shuttle. When the images were examined by a wildlife specialist, the conclusion was the bat may have had a broken wing, forcing him to hold on tight.

    "Unfortunately, holding onto the fuel tank spelled certain doom; it is doubtful he would have been able to remain attached as the violent shaking and g-forces took hold. Although he made it as high as the launch tower, it is likely the bat dropped off and died in the searing 1400°C exhaust of the throttling boosters."


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