The Jules Verne Automated Transfer Vehicle detaches from the International Space Station this week (on schedule, no one hit a wrong switch!). This column has been following the ATV for over four years now yet it seems only last month that it did a delicate orbital dance awaiting its berth to disgorge cargo. Headed ineluctably towards a fiery atmospheric demise, the program however is an unqualified success. Somewhere between four and seven ATV's altogether are planned (one roughly two every three years) so the next will probably launch around 2010.

Meanwhile overhead Expedition 17 continues to maintain ISS, preparing the station for future visits and repairs to the annoying solar rotary joint. Quiet means no problems and that's a good thing as the orbiter flight schedule gets knocked to the right by storms hurling themselves at the Cape. One item of note: history now records humans playing chess … in space! Greg Chamitoff recently completed his game against (get this) six ground Control Centers, the first chess game played in outer space according to the ISS Flight Director. Somewhat similar to Kasparov's game against the world, Greg gained a subtle advantage in that each control center wasn't supposed to coordinate their moves, sapping their moves of momentum. In any event the scorecard shows spacemen 1, ground based humans 0. Game 2 is already underway. Chamitoff brought a special set with him, turning the "very irritating game of chess" into another Trek prediction!

I am encouraged and delighted that the space shuttle program seems destined to proceed past its expected expiration date. News reports have expanded the range of such support beyond the bargaining involved with a hard fought political campaign. Recent geopolitical events make such a decision a "no brainer" in political calculus, compounded by increasing back-pressure from engineering sources regarding the Ares I rocket. At the moment it seems reasonable not to abandon the momentum of real accomplishment. This isn't Skylab fading to a shuttle type gap, since the shuttle could actually fly (with no regard to initial budget and schedule, but hey!).

On a downer note, this week marks the end of the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton. I made several trips to Vegas for business and pleasure last century and always made time for the Experience. TNG was still fresh in my mind and the overwhelming expanse of it all was visually stunning. (That considers the location!) Most of all I liked the tour through the NCC-1701-D. Memories now, but we'll always have Vegas.