Northrup Grumman successfully docked a space tug to a geosynchronous satellite last week. I'm sure the ability to do this has been around a long time, but its cool to see them finally use it. They've accomplished extending the life of expensive satellites with their Mission Extension Vehicle...MEV...space tug. It used the 18 year old satellite's depleted engine nozzle as a docking target.


https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/02/...for-first-time/
https://spaceflightnow.com/2020/02/...gh-above-earth/



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It also tests an ability to take out other satellites within international treaties.
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Hey, Tim. You folks ok up TN way? Looks like you had some bad tornadoes around Nashville early this morning, which, I think, is sorta close to your neck of the woods.

In any event, take care up that way.


Earl

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Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

We are ok for the most part. I was called out at about 11:00 CST last night and just came home a few minutes ago. We had several homes damaged and destroyed in the county. We spent the whole night cutting our way through the roads to get to the homes to search for victims as several more storms blasted through. Thankfully, everyone was ok. There was plenty of property and infrastructure damage, but no fatalities. The next county over had one fatality that we know of, then it skipped on over and ripped a streak from East Nashville up through Wilson Co (Lebanon area) and Putnam Co (Cookeville area). I don't know whether storms and tornados any worse in Nashville, but it was definitely much more densely populated and the twister(s) stayed on the ground longer.

There always seems to be a miracle or two in times like this. We had a mother go to her daughter's bedroom right before the storm hit. The daughter was slow to wake up so the mother just got down beside her and held on to her. The house was destroyed around them, but the bed and the two women were still in place more or less untouched. The covers from the bed were a couple hundred yards away in a tree and the house itself was strewn all over the place.

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News is reporting 22 killed so far. Glad you're ok, Tim!

Tim-

Glad you and yours are ok, but sad certainly that others were not so lucky. Saw some aerial photos of the damage earlier this afternoon and it looks pretty rough in some of those places. Tornadoes are nothing to play around with; that’s to say, one must fully respect their damage potential.

I have an aunt and uncle in Winchester (mom’s brother), but it would seem they should be ok.

Earl

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Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

Yes, Winchester is about 70 miles south of the path it took in Middle TN so they were spared this time. My niece teaches in Cookeville and the path was about a mile from her. She said it was the loudest noise she's ever heard. Her property was undamaged, but was covered in debris blown into it.

My brother is a lineman and was called out at the same time I was. They did a great job and had power restored to just about everyone in less than 24 hours. They still have plenty of work to do to make permanent repairs. We had some good experience just a couple months ago when Decatur Co. TN was hit by straight line winds that covered the whole county. We spent days cutting trees out of roads to allow ambulances and power companies through, and my brother's crews came in behind and worked a couple weeks to get power back there. After a county wide mess down there, our concentrated area of damage was taken care of pretty quickly!

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I did my undergrad at the Univ of the South in Sewanee.
Loved to go into Cowan and Winchester. Particularly loved Skips grill and the old Hammers store in the square. Folks are wonderful there.
Went back for an alumni weekend, and Winchester has grown a lot!
Love that whole area!

Allen

My daughter in law is from Huntland, right down the road from there. Pretty country in those hills. I played in a state tournament back in the early 80's in Winchester/Dechard. Not sure which town the field was in....kinda like Minneapolis/St. Paul without the river. I stayed with a host family in/near Sewanee (Monteagle Mt.). The host family were great folks. The dad was a logger and they didn't have much, but they shared everything they had with us.

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tbzep-
Glad you and your family are safe through this next to zero-notice weather event you had near Nashville.

The pictures/videos on the various National news services yesterday literally looked like a war-zone.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !