Posted on 06/14/2006 5:58:12 PM PDT by Oshkalaboomboom
Confederate flags flown aboard the international space station — and seemingly signed by a NASA astronaut — showed up last week on the online auction site eBay.
The original eBay listing indicated that the 4-by-6-inch flags were brought aboard the space station by Russian cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov in 2004, and an accompanying photo showed a sample flag that seemed to bear Sharipov’s signature as well as that of Leroy Chiao, his NASA colleague on the station. Yet another photo showed several of the rebel flags floating in a space station module.
The item was pulled from the auction on Monday by the seller, Alex Panchenko of USSR-Russian Air-Space Collectibles Inc. in Los Angeles — and on Tuesday, Panchenko told MSNBC.com that he removed the items from sale because he had concluded the flag and the authentication documents were forgeries.
However, Robert Pearlman, editor and founder of CollectSpace, said he believes the flags are authentic.
“The picture taken of the flags aboard the station says a lot,” he said. “It would be difficult to fake, given the style and I couldn't see the motivation to do so.” The “onboard-the-ISS” stamp, added Pearlman, is not known to have been counterfeited anywhere."
The disappearance of the flags followed a round of criticism over the weekend from former space scientist Keith Cowing, publisher of NASA Watch, an independent Web log. He cited the Confederate flags as an example of “bad judgment on the ISS.”
“You'd think that someone on the U.S. side of the ISS program would have expressed some concern about flying a symbol on the ISS that many Americans associate with slavery,” Cowing wrote.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Something funny about this whole story. Maybe it's the collection of names involved.
They'll never make me ashamed of Dixie. There aren't enough Yankees on the planet for that.
The Rebel flag uproar is so much hot air. Good God, doesn't anyone work for a living anymore... so much free time, so little common sense.
What politically correct pervert is offended?
Some Texans complain about people parading around with a Mexican Flag. Its as legitimate here, as the Rebel flag.
You'd think that someone wouldn't give a rat's ass about something so petty.
bump
Anyone who is offended by a flag has a severe self-confidence issue, plain and simple.
Not all of us want to make you ashamed. In fact, I'm not sure your problem is as much with Yankees as it is liberals from all over.
The Confederate Air Force changed its name to the Commemorative Air Force a few years ago.
The Confederate Space Station has a nice ring to it.
> Am I the only one who has noticed that our freedom to choose is being eroded day by day?
Yeah! I bet some people would get all snippy if someone decided to take Nazi flags into space too! Damned fascists won't let anybody have any fun!
Big deal.
"Some Texans complain about people parading around with a Mexican Flag. Its as legitimate here, as the Rebel flag."
Well, we know flying the mexican flag won't get you deported in every city in america. Funny how we aren't so sure about the Confederate flag.
The Moon shall rise again!
It is an insult to compare the Confederate flag with the flag of Nazi Germany.
"The Confederate Space Station has a nice ring to it."
We don't need no stinking Little Round Top.......
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