Pāvilosta girl stows away on spacecraft

TECHNICIANS conducting checks on the Uzvaru-4 orbital cargo shuttle found an unusual surprise this Saturday.

11-year-old Ilza Pelecki, of Pāvilosta village, was found hiding in a locker, wearing a home-made spacesuit constructed from diving equipment. Her parents say she told them she had gone to stay with friends on Friday afternoon.

A spokesman for the Ziemupe spaceport said the girl had enough food and water for the shuttle’s planned 3-day flight, and her spacesuit was apparently air-tight. However, her oxygen supply was “insufficient” and she had apparently believed the shuttle would be pressurized.

Ilza was said to be unafraid, and had planned out her adventure. The Ziemupe spokesman said that while the breach of spaceport security was concerning, there were no indications that she had caused any harm, and that her bravery and preparation was commendable.

Interviewed by the Star, Ilza’s parents said she had been treated to a tour of the spaceport by staff, allowed to meet astronauts on the Attālums program, and given a number of souvenirs such as models and posters.

“She has always been a free spirit,” said father Petr Pelecki. “Ilza often goes camping or hiking in the woods. She says she would like to visit other planets. Of course, we thought she meant once she is grown up!”

The Uzvaru-4 shuttle launched as planned on Saturday evening. It will reach the ISS2 station on Tuesday. The shuttle is carrying mechanical parts to be used in the Attālums Ganymede mission, which is scheduled to depart in October of this year. Attālums Ganymede will take 16 months to transport a 12-person team of astronauts to the moon Ganymede, in orbit of Jupiter. This will be the first manned European mission to fly this far from Earth, and the first manned mission to land on Ganymede.

Story filed 30 May 2130, Liepāja, Latvia, by Stefan Korwicz. Filed under “Spaceflight” and “Local News” in Liepāja Weekly Star archives. LWS-K-S-300521300-1

Here follows the last will and testament of Gail Irina Pelecki, pirate captain.

…

Upon the occasion of my death, I direct my assets to be disposed of as follows:

To my current First Officer, I leave the starship Louisiana Jive, in her currently outfitted state, and all associated contracts, documents, and arrangements. If my First Officer did not survive me, the remaining crew are to elect a new Captain from amongst themselves, who will receive the ship as above. Any personal possessions of the crew aboard Louisiana Jive are to be returned to their owners.

Before calculating my estate, open box 2270 in the Thompson Secure Vault in Kabe, Yuoni, Groombridge 34. The password is “Tansalwe”. The contents of this box will provide knowledge of the full extent of my possessions and savings.

Any of my possessions deemed to be of historical value are to be sold to a museum, and their value added to my finances. Other items (not counting trivial necessities and food, which may be donated to a service for the poor) should be offered to my daughter Jane to keep, and sold if they are not wanted. The exceptions to this are all of my weapons and any documents not related to my finances, which are to be given to Corby Tanner, of Tanner’s Rest Bar & Grill, Niawe, Yuoni, Groombridge 34.

Before disposing of the golden bust of Taji Biko, remove the plug from the bottom and retrieve the paper within. Act upon its instructions promptly and precisely.

If I was murdered, 50% of my monetary assets are to be deposited at Red Jake’s on Tarantal Station, Alpha Cent, for the purpose of placing a bounty on the head of whoever killed me. If I died of natural causes or through an accident, this 50% should instead be contributed to the Tarantal Station Rescue Service. The remaining 50% is left to my daughter Jane.

At Big Dave’s House of Keeping, Lucas Ring, Barnard’s Star, retrieve box 33 with the name “Chrissie Ransome” and password “VeryStrongPassword1”. Distribute the documents contained within to as many news outlets as possible, using my name.

I desire my body to be properly cleaned and preserved, placed in a durable airtight casket labelled with my name, and buried in an unmarked location on an unexplored world by the first people to set foot on that planet, who are to keep no record of its placement.

RENOWNED EXPLORER AMONG FIRST TO CAPTAIN NEW GENERATION OF SHIPS

THE EYRIE – The Expedition Ships Project today announced the first round of selections for captains of Expedition Ships. At a press conference in the Eyrie’s Sputnik Plaza, Project Director Valeria Auguste revealed the names of those chosen, from a pool of about 5,000 qualified candidates, to command the Project’s first ten starships.

Among the first ten was prominent explorer and astrocartographer Bianca Pelecki. As captain of her own ship, the voidjammer Dust Bite, Pelecki has extensively charted over 200 planetary systems, and numerous interstellar phenomena. In recognition of her achievements, she has received several prestigious awards, including the Nobel Prize for Interstellar Discovery and an honorary fellowship from the Hubble Stellar Cartography Institute. However, in her own words, all previous commendations “pale in comparison to the honour of being at the leading edge of our journey to a whole new set of worlds”.

Captain Pelecki has been assigned to the Expedition Ship Just Like That, due to launch in January next year.

The other nine captains announced today were Dr. Julius Mokabe, Snow Angel; Cpt. Samuel Naim-Yamadashi, Route Access; Cpt. Ana Corbet, White Mouse; Prof. Kristen Santiago, Consider This; Cpt. Mariel Nauri, Quiet, I’m Thinking; Dr. Boris Yalikev, Show Me; Dr. Nina Chavez, Press Onwards; Cpt. Lily Sharaf, Light It Up; and Dr. Chu Chun, Positive Space.

Selections for the second wave of Expedition Ships are scheduled to begin in eight to ten years, once the first generation of ships has spent some time in the field and experience-based modifications have been made. The new ships will then be launched with the upgrades built in as standard.

Speaking at the press conference, Director Auguste said: “These brave explorers face a difficult journey. They will be travelling into truly unknown space, where the laws of physics themselves may change from day to day. They will of course be aided by tried and capable crews, and by the Expedition Ships themselves, but the challenges will still be great. Nevertheless, these courageous volunteers have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of knowledge and discovery, and I believe we have chosen the best of the best to lead us into the fantastic unknown.”

Story by Giatsin Dubois for the Journal of the Apollo Astrocartography Society, 13 May 6268
Associated feature: Expedition Ship - Just Like That [aacsoc.sci.com/features/6268/05/justlikethat]