As if space wasn't dangerous enough...

There's a story on the AP wire discussing the upcoming December 7 night launch of the space shuttle, and while the details are pretty standard, I noticed one element at the bottom that definitely caught my attention.

Apparently, the deadline to launch the shuttle is December 17 because the 12-day mission must be completed before the end of the calendar year. The reason being, the computers on the Space Shuttle, the vehicle we utilize to venture into the cold, dangerous, airless expanse of Earth's orbit, can't make the transition from the final day of the old year to the first day of the new year. There's emergency protocol if necessary, but they don't want to use it because it hasn't been tested.

That's never a good sign. My car makes the transition just fine. Don't ask me why, but my microwave asks for the date when the power goes out, and I have yet to see it fail after the new year. In my opinion, space flight has now gone from "how cool would that be?" to "better you than me."

For your benefit, I have included the referenced excerpt:

The Associated Press
If the launch does not happen on Dec. 7, NASA can keep trying through Dec. 17. After that, the agency will re-evaluate its options and may call it quits until mid-January.

NASA wants Discovery back from its 12-day mission by New Year's Eve because shuttle computers are not designed to make the change from the 365th day of the old year to the first day of the new year while in flight.

The space agency has figured out a solution for the New Year's problem, but managers are reluctant to try it since it has not been thoroughly tested. If the space shuttle is not back on the ground during the change into the new year, NASA officials want it docked to the space station and not flying.