Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Cheese In Space

Last week, an American company, SpaceX, became the first private enterprise to launch a spacecraft into orbit around the earth. The unmanned craft named The Dragon orbited earth twice before a drogue parachute controlled landing into the ocean. The Dragon had a payload of ballast, and a box of patches to commemorate the flight. It also contained, in a specially designed container, a wheel of Le Brouère,  a French cheese, originally from Lorraine. It is made by the dairy of the Bulgnéville hermitage in Vosges départment. A typical round is about 43 centimetres (17 in) in diameter and weighs 12 kilograms (26 lb). It is shaped in wooden molds with patterns created by an artisan sculptor. Maturation time is 4 to 7 months. It is considered a variant of Gruyère.
When asked why the wheel of cheese was sent into space, SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk admitted it was a private joke, inspired by, as all bizarre business decisions are, a Monty Python Sketch.

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