Just When You Thought the International Space Station was a White Elephant. (May 31, 2006)

    Nature reports:

NASA mission planners have delayed a spacewalk to drive a gold-plated golf ball into low Earth orbit. The publicity stunt, sponsored by Canadian golfing firm Element 21, would have made International Space Station Commander Pavel Vinogradov a sporting celebrity.

But engineers are worried that Vinogradov's hook could lodge the ball in a solar panel or other piece of vital equipment. NASA wouldn't comment on Vinogradov's handicap, saying only that the swing would be put off for a more thorough safety analysis.