While on a mission to test new space safety techniques following the 2003 Columbia disaster, the crew of Discovery 2006 STS-121's flight to the International Space Station misplaced a spatula worth £1,800. Astronaut Piers Sellers, while attempting to spread sealant on to broken parts of the space station's heat shield, accidentally let go of the spatula he was using and it drifted off into space. Amusingly, Sellers later commented: "That was my favourite spatch. Don't tell the other spatulas..."
NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.
While on a mission to test new space safety techniques following the 2003 Columbia disaster, the crew of Discovery 2006 STS-121's flight to the International Space Station misplaced a spatula worth £1,800. Astronaut Piers Sellers, while attempting to spread sealant on to broken parts of the space station's heat shield, accidentally let go of the spatula he was using and it drifted off into space. Amusingly, Sellers later commented: "That was my favourite spatch. Don't tell the other spatulas..."