Astronaut taking treasure-hunt 'travel bug' to space stationThe countdown is underway for the launch of a treasure-hunt token to the International Space Station (ISS).
The same Russian spacecraft that will lift off Wednesday evening (Nov. 6) with three crew members and an Olympic torch for the orbital outpost is also carrying a "travel bug," a device used to mark the location of a hidden cache or container. On the ISS, it will serve as a tool for students and enthusiasts to track the astronaut who is bringing it to space.
"We are going to bring up a geocache travel bug, which is basically just a small dog tag," NASA flight engineer Rick Mastracchio said in a televised media interview. "The kids are going to follow it online and I'll answer questions while I'm on orbit with them. It gives them a reason to follow the mission and learn about NASA."