You might think he'd be over the moon about heading to the moon (read about the mission here). He's not.
He likes the publicity. But he hates his name.
Gail Farrelly, a Science & Technology reporter at TheSpoof.com, spoke to LADEE before he left on his mission. Here's the skinny. LADEE revealed that he finds his name to be "kinda girlie." He feels that the uninformed will think his name is pronounced Lady, instead of Laddie, the correct pronunciation. LADEE pointed out, "I am, after all, a guy and want a real he-man sort of name, something like Joe, Dave, or George. If one of these were my first name, then I wouldn't mind if LADEE (which stands for Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer) were my last name."
Meanwhile he's emailed Farrelly that he's so angry he's purposely misbehaving on the trip. Of course, NASA is downplaying the trouble, not wanting to admit the difficulty of dealing with its temperamental star.
And there may be more difficulties ahead. LADEE isn't delighted with his mission to research moondust. "I'm allergic to dust," he told reporter Farrelly, continuing, "and besides, dealing with dust is a nonstop activity. Think of what comedian George Carlin once said: Dusting is a good example of the futility of trying to put things right. As soon as you dust, the fact of your next dusting has already been established."
LADEE does seem to know of what he speaks. Remember, you read about it here first!
