Houston, We Have A Problem

HOUSTON (AP) - Flight controllers were revamping plans Wednesday for the remaining spacewalks planned during space shuttle Endeavour's visit to the international space station, after a crucial tool bag floated out to space during a repair trip.

The briefcase-sized tool bag drifted away from astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper on Tuesday as she cleaned and lubed a gummed-up joint on a wing of solar panels on the space station. She and fellow astronaut Stephen Bowen were midway through the first of four spacewalks planned for the mission. The tool bag was one of the largest items ever lost by a spacewalker.

Oh, you know the male astronauts are never going to let her hear the end of this!

For years, female spacemen have had to endure the "pulling over in orbit and asking for directions" jokes, but now that a woman has lost a tool bag, their lives are going to be a living hell.

I can just hear the Tim Allen- aka Tim "Tool Time" Taylor-- grunts as they walk down the hallways. Gift certificates for Sears' Craftsman tools will spill from their lockers. Men will grab themselves and say, "Here's a tool bag you won't want to lose."

Not since astronaut Lisa Marie Nowak strapped on a diaper and tried to kidnap her lover's wife have astrobabes been viewed so poorly.

In all fairness, a male astronaut would never have lost something as precious to him as a set of tools. A grocery list? Maybe. A screw driver? No way!