A n d r e w s G u m W o r l d

space invaders chewing gum, originally uploaded by momentimedia.

 Yesterday’s The Times in London reported on the production of a new series of radio sci-fi comedies based on the late Douglas Adams’ stories and produced by Dirk Maggs. The new series, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, promises to be of high quality, the article notes, and to make this point, they invoked Beatles chewing gum:

During the height of Beatlemania you could buy Beatles chewing gum. It cost twice as much as competing brands, but it was worth it. Not only did you get an exclusive colour picture of the Fabs, but the colours were brighter, the taste better and more varied. Or so we thought. As with their music, the impression was given that Beatles gum was a superior product. Care had been taken.

The producer Dirk Maggs is the radio comedy equivalent of Beatles gum.

This next week on September 9, US media representatives will have a chance to review some of the hardware that will be used in the last shuttle mission, STS-125, to repair the Hubble telescope.

In a release posted on the spaceref.com website late last week, guidelines were reviewed to assure that none of the equipment will be contaminated, including precision cleaning of photographic equipment and the wearing of clean room attire, which will be provided.

Other guidelines were also included, which — as you might guess — included prohibitions against chewing gum.

Here are those details for the media who are planning on a sneek peak of the mission, which is scheduled to launch in early October:

No suede, leather, vinyl attire or vinyl accessories will be permitted inside the clean room. Also, no food, tobacco, lighters or matches, chewing gum, hair combs, pocket knives, paper or pencils will be permitted inside the clean room. Special writing materials will be furnished. Also, to meet the stringent contamination controls in effect, those attending are asked not to wear hairspray, deodorant, cosmetics, jewelry, aftershave or perfume.

Today’s status report on the International Space Station on SpaceRef.com provided updates on Flight Engineer Oleg Kononenko inspection of the SM RO (Service Module Working Components, to us non-ISS space junkies). Important stuff to do, naturally, but even more important to AndrewsGumWorld (or, for this one moment, AndrewsGumUniverse) because one of the technical devices used to measure cavities on the hull surface is one we’re rather familiar with, our somewhat solitary obsession: chewing gum.

Here are some of the specific details from today’s update:

Kononenko conducted the periodic/long-term inspection of the SM RO (Service Module Working Compartment)’s pressure hull and ring, looking for any moisture, deposits, mold, corrosion and pitting behind panels 130, 134, 135, 138, 139, 454, also underneath the TVIS treadmill (where deposit was discovered earlier) and the cold plates (where SNT and STR lines are installed). Last time done: 6/3. [The inspection of the hull surface, which is coated with a primer and dark-green enamel, is done using cleaning napkins to wipe the area in question if required and reporting results to the ground. The hull inspection looks for changed color and cavities; if cavities are found, they are to be measured for depth (with chewing gum) after cleaning. Digital photographs of the shell before and after the removal of deposits were to be made for documentation.]

Image above is from NASA’s Human Space Flight Gallery.