OT: Wednesday Wacky

Swedish astronaut in Discovery's new crew was once a national champion
He's bringing a disc to space...read on...

Peter Mc
www.ThisIsUltimate.com

Associated Press:

http://news.yahoo.com/s//ap/20061203...c/shuttle_crew

Christer Fuglesang, European Space Agency

Age: 49

Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden.

Family: Married, three children.

Once Discovery reaches 62 miles above Earth, Fuglesang will become the
first Swede in space, a title he has been working toward since 1992
when he joined the European Space Agency. Along with Germany's Thomas
Reiter, he was selected for a joint mission between Europe and Russia
in 1995 but ended up being part of the back-up crew.

"I realize there is a lot of interest in Sweden and I'm happy about
that," he said.

Fuglesang received a master's degree in engineering physics from the
Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. He earned a doctorate in
experimental particle physics from the University of Stockholm and
later became a docent in particle physics at the university.

He joined the astronaut corps in 1996 and then went on to train on a
Russian Soyuz spacecraft, earning a certificate that would allow him to
command a Soyuz during a return trip to Earth.

During Discovery's mission, he will conduct the first two spacewalks
with Curbeam.

A former Swedish national Frisbee champion, Fuglesang plans to bring a
Frisbee up to space. During a live satellite link-up with children on
Earth, he'll try to set the record for maximum time aloft. Of course,
he'll get an assist from zero gravity.

Frisbee®

As Frisbee® once said in microsoft.public.cert.exam.mcse

> Swedish astronaut in Discovery's new crew was once a national champion
> He's bringing a disc to space...read on...

OK. But remember, they already played _real_ golf on the moon.

kpg

"Frisbee®" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
> "I realize there is a lot of interest in Sweden and I'm happy about
> that," he said.

A lot of interest in Sweden? I don't think they should be sending mental
patients to conduct serious scientific business in space.

Briscobar