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China bolstered its reputation as the rising star on the space scene this weekend by landing a rover on the moon. The challenging feat was pulled off by only two nations before: the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
The Chang’e 3 mission touched down on the moon Saturday (December 14) after launching December 1 on a Chinese rocket. The lander included a four-legged stationary probe and a six-wheeled robotic rover that, with mast deployed, stands about 1.5 meters tall. The spacecraft is the first man-made object to land on the moon in 37 years, and coincidentally touched down exactly 41 years after the last humans departed the lunar surface.
Commercial space entrepreneur Robert Bigelow, whose Bigelow Aerospace company is building inflatable space habitats, has said China is likely to claim ownership of the moon if other nations do not step up to challenge them.
Full story HERE
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I have no legitimate reason for posting the following picture. But it caught my fancy, and that's good enough for me.
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Did You Know . . .?
Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs
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HISTORICAL EVENT
Although Apollo 17 was the last lunar landing, the last official Apollo mission was conducted in July 1975, when an Apollo spacecraft successfully rendezvoused and docked with the Soviet Soyuz 19 spacecraft in orbit around the Earth. It was fitting that the Apollo program, which first visited the moon under the banner of "We came in peace for all mankind," should end on a note of peace and international cooperation.
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WORD FOR TODAY
Cloture ( kloh'-chur)
Cloture is a motion or process in parliamentary procedure aimed at bringing debate to a quick end. It is also called closure.
Procedure for invoking cloture
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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
(born December 19, 1972)
Alyssa Milano is an American actress, producer and former singer, best known for portraying Samantha Micelli on the ABC sitcom series Who's the Boss? (1984–1992), Jennifer Mancini on the Fox soap opera Melrose Place (1997–98), and Phoebe Halliwell on The WB television series Charmed (1998–2006). She currently stars as Savannah Davis in ABC drama series Mistresses, and as a host on the third season of Lifetime's Project Runway: All Stars.
(born December 19, 1944)
Tim Reid is an American actor, comedian and film director best known for his roles in prime time American television programs, such as Venus Flytrap on WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–82), Marcel "Downtown" Brown on Simon & Simon (1983–87), Ray Campbell on Sister, Sister (1994–99) and William Barnett on That '70s Show (2004-2006). Reid starred in a CBS series, Frank's Place, as a professor who inherits a Louisiana restaurant.
(born December 19, 1980)
Marla Sokoloff is an American actress and musician, known for playing the part of Lucy Hatcher on the TV show The Practice, and Gia Mahan on the ABC sitcom, Full House.
(born December 19, 1963)
Jennifer Beals is an American actress and a former teen model. She played the role of Alexandra "Alex" Owens in the 1983 film Flashdance, and appeared as Bette Porter on the Showtime drama series The L Word. She earned an NAACP Image Award and a Golden Globe Award nomination for the former. She has appeared in more than 50 films.
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Today, we are on a path of decay. We are seeing the book close on five decades of accomplishment as the leader in human space exploration.
--Gene Cernan
NASA TV
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