Soyuz spacecraft launches 32 fish, hippo to space station, space.com via Fox “I think it’s going to be something special, and I will get unforgettable memories,” Novitskiy said in a NASA briefing before the mission. Novitskiy picked a small toy hippo, a gift from his teenage daughter Yana, to use an indicator of when the Soyuz reached the weightless environment of space.” Keith’s note: Contrary to what some space bloggers […]

Editor’s note: On Wednesday I did a short (5 minute) live interview with the NEEMO 12 crew from their Aquarius underwater habitat. As the interview before mine was being conducted, I noticed something rather curious on one of the Aquarius webcams: someone inside Aquarius was fiddling with a giant refrigerator magnet – one that features a nearly life-sized dog. When I asked what this was I was told that it is called “Flat Gorby”. “Gorby” is ISS Expedition 15 astronaut Suni William’s dog. According to Williams official bio: she has “a crazy Jack Russell Terrier named Gorby”. My wife and I have two cats. I understand. Apparently the NEEMO folks have been taking Flat Gorby wherever they go.

Keith‘s note: The following excerpt regarding Sunita Williams’ increasingly famous dog “Gorby” is from a live “ship to ship” conversation between the NEEMO 12 crew aboard the Aquarius habitat and Suni Williams aboard the International Space Station held on 17 May 2007: