The world of Trek was quiet and uneventful this week. When an auto accident during a second unit shoot leads the news about the new movie it's like the franchise skips a beat on purpose. Then, even though I despise grumbling, I was sorely and unexpectedly disappointed in the CGI "new and improved" Klingon D7 ship (arguably the former, certainly not the latter). That ship is nearly as iconic as NCC-1701 herself and deserves respectful attention it did not receive. This is one of the high points that needed to be hit to commend the remastering effort and it inexplicably wasn't, leaving only wonderment why it was so treated.

In contrast to the dull world of the future however, space above in the present charges on productively. Looking far ahead, the Launch Abort System was initially tested for the proposed Orion spacecraft. It's still early in the program but there's something about watching the emergency escape system under test that evokes the spirit of Apollo in the fire of its jets.

This week Russian Commander Sergei Volkov and Russian Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko launched aboard their Soyuz personnel transport. Their arrival follows the successful attachment of the handyman robot Dextre, and of the Kibo lab in its temporary position atop the Harmony Node. STS-124 Discovery is still on track to deliver the primary part of the Japanese facility in a tenuous schedule at the end of May. Volkov and Kononenko expect to serve until they are relieved later this year. Godspeed Expedition 17! Also with them was 29-year old pioneer Yi So-yeon, youngest woman to ever launch into space, bringing Korea into the family of nations with space veterans. In about ten days she returns to Earth with Expedition 16 Commander Whitson and Flight Engineer Malenchenko.

In another famous first for the International Space Station the Automated Transfer Vehicle successfully completed its first mission after a dilatory three weeks in orbit testing its performance while stalking ISS from a safe distance. It was able to rendezvous and dock delivering 8000kg of fuel, supplies, and cargo for the station, in addition to over a 100 cubic meters of pressurized volume. (Alas only for a few months when, after being filled with trash it will be stowed then detached, deorbited, and destroyed.) Among the manifest was a manuscript by author Jules Verne, "From the Earth to the Moon." No doubt the Frenchman, were he a lucky "space tourist," would spend no time at all poring over words given the awesome view available!