Chocolate coming on next space station delivery

[Buster's Uncle]

Chocolate coming on next space station delivery
Associated Press
MARCIA DUNN 1 hour ago 
 


An unmanned Antares rocket sits on the launch pad at Wallops Island, Va. in an undated photo provided by NASA. It’s due to lift off Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2013 on a test flight of a new cargo ship, called Cygnus, and will deliver goods to the International Space Station. NASA hired Orbital Sciences Corp., the maker of this rocket and cargo ship, to help keep the space station stockpiled. The other company in this new commercial arena is SpaceX. (AP Photo/NASA)

 
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A Virginia company makes its debut this week as a space station delivery service, and the lone American aboard the orbiting lab is counting on a fresh stash of chocolate.

In an interview Monday with The Associated Press, NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg said she can't wait for this weekend's arrival of a new cargo ship named Cygnus. It will be the first shipment by Orbital Sciences Corp. to the International Space Station.

"You know that there's something packed away in that vehicle, something special for you ... We're human beings and we get very excited about the packages from home and some of the treats that we might get," said Nyberg.

Orbital Sciences is scheduled to launch an unmanned Antares rocket containing Cygnus on Wednesday morning from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's eastern shore. It's where NASA launched a moon spacecraft 1½ weeks ago.

NASA is paying Orbital Sciences and the California-based SpaceX company to keep the space station well stocked in the shuttle-less era.

Orbital Sciences conducted a practice Antares launch in April with a mock payload. This will be its first space station run, coming more than a year after the initial SpaceX delivery.

Because this is considered a test flight, the Cygnus will carry up mostly food and other nonessential items. That suits Nyberg and her two male crewmates — an Italian and a Russian. They have been in orbit since the end of May, with two more months to go. Three more residents arrive later next week.





Nyberg's husband — NASA astronaut Douglas Hurley — put together the care package that's already stowed on the Cygnus capsule. They have one child, 3-year-old Jack.

"It would be really nice to have some fresh home-baked goods, but the fresh part doesn't work very well when it takes a couple days to get here," Nyberg said. "So anything chocolate usually does it for me."

Given a Wednesday launch, the Cygnus should arrive at the space station on Sunday. Unlike the SpaceX Earth-returning Dragon, it will be filled with trash and, once cut loose, burn up during descent.

Russia, Europe and Japan also send up supplies.


http://news.yahoo.com/chocolate-coming-next-space-station-delivery-154034916.html

[Geo]

Belgian chocolate?

[Buster's Uncle]

No.  Good chocolate, so Swiss. 

[Geo]

Yes, they are known to import our good stuff, but its a (banking) secret...

[ariete]

no Uncle, listen us europeans, swiss is not best chocolate
and then ... cacao comes from america

[Geo]

and then ... cacao comes from america

Most production happens in Africa.

[Buster's Uncle]

You'd really think the Mexicans would have taken a serious interest in quality chocolate by now...

[Geo]

You'd really think the Mexicans would have taken a serious interest in quality chocolate by now...

But they don't want to negotiate with the Mayans, in whoms jungles the cacao needs to be produced. 

[Buster's Uncle]

Well, Mexico has always been a mess, going back to being a Spanish slave colony, so not so much with being associated with quality anything - but a well-run operation with a good product ought to be able to capitalize on the "we invented chocolate" angle.

[Geo]

Well, Mexico has always been a mess, going back to being a Spanish slave colony, so not so much with being associated with quality anything - but a well-run operation with a good product ought to be able to capitalize on the "we invented chocolate" angle.

In short, yet another revolution is needed? 

[Buster's Uncle]

Nah - they need an established tradition of honest, diligent and competent governance.  No idea how they ought to go about acquiring one, but I seriously doubt a revolution is a good idea in that direction at all.

[JarlWolf]

Mexico is better then some places in Latin America in terms of stability and development.... ex. Columbia/Guatemala.

[Buster's Uncle]

Sure.  Those places have some portion of the "invented chocolate" claim, too, but I wouldn't even consider investing in trying to start a high-end chocolate business there.  Columbia before Guatemala at that.

There's an unfilled business niche there -"we invented chocolate" should be a powerful marketing slogan/cache, (for all that it's a gross oversimplification that borders on untruth)- that could prove immensely profitable but it would take a lot of time money and work.  The real trick would be to let someone else take on the investment and risk, and be the second company to jump on the quality Mexican chocolate bandwagon...