Boeing lent a new meaning to the term space junk last month when it threw
away two air tanks destined for the International Space Station. Boeing
employees in Huntsville, Alabama, searched the city dump, but failed to find the
metre-wide pressurised tanks, worth $375 000 each. A Boeing spokesperson
told The Huntsville Times that the tanks were accidentally
thrown away during a move. Boeing says if NASA wants the tanks, it will have to
pay to have two more built. NASA officials did not return calls seeking
comment.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Are Neanderthals descendants of modern humans?
2
Neanderthal infants were enormous compared with modern humans
3
The biggest threat to Chernobyl is no longer radiation
4
The man who crawls into the perilous heart of the Chernobyl reactor
5
Collapse of key ocean current may release billions of tonnes of carbon
6
Exclusive report: Inside Chernobyl, 40 years after nuclear disaster
7
Surprising male G-spot found in most detailed study of the penis yet
8
The stunning physics of Project Hail Mary go back to ancient China
9
How autoimmune conditions can unexpectedly drive mental illness
10
A once-fantastical collider could answer physics’ biggest mysteries
