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News and notes from around the interweb:
- Thoughts about visiting Morocco
- Airberlin auction – literally everything not nailed to the ground must go (HT: YHBU)
- Have a Marriott Rewards® Premier Credit Card? Check out new Lowes and Staples offers. I hope Chase Offers rolls out to more cards soon.
- College freshman fell asleep on his flight home for Christmas and never woke up. Sad story.
- The architect who gave us the atrium hotel has passed away (HT: 777globalmilehound)
- Russia Proposes “Luxury Hotel” for the International Space Station “The NEM-2 module would have four cabins, two bathrooms, exercise equipment, WiFi and a lounge with a 16-inch window”
Five years ago, the Russian space program discovered that the fuel system of the MLM Nauka module, which was originally built in the 1990s as a ground spare for the first ISS module Zarya, was contaminated with sawdust. The module was already 6 years late at that time. They tried two different methods to flush out the system, but the contamination remained, causing fuel valves to leak.
Last year, they dusted off another prototype module from the 1990s to practice a new procedure in which they cut the propellant tanks open, clean them out, and weld them back together. Unfortunately, the welded tanks of the prototype unit failed pressure tests. All of this was considered to be a better idea than starting over with non-ancient hardware.
I’ll believe the Russians are going to launch a new module to the ISS when I see it.