Farewell, Space Bat!

[ljgeoff]

For those of you who missed it:

A small bat that was spotted blasting off with the space shuttle Sunday and clinging to the back side of Discovery's external fuel tank apparently held on throughout the launch.

NASA hoped the bat would fly away before the spacecraft's Sunday evening liftoff, but photos from the launch now show the bat holding on for dear life throughout the fiery ride.

(the rest of the article at space.com)

by johnreiher

Bat Flight
With apologies to John Magee...

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of Earth
And danced the skies on leather-skinned wings;
Moonward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of moon-split clouds, — and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung
High in the moonlit silence. Hov'ring there,
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager wings through footless halls of air. . . .

Up, up the long, delirious burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or ever eagle flew —
And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my wing, and touched the face of God.