Three Things for February 10
1. Final Super Bowl trip for the Never Miss a Super Bowl club
Three long-time friends are continuing their tradition of attending every Super Bowl since 1983.
The three men, Don Chrisman, Gregory Eaton and Tom Henschel have attended every Super Bowl game “since the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game was held 55 years ago,” reports AP News.
“Their small club of fans who have been to every Super Bowl has dwindled over the years as other members have aged and passed on,” said AP News.
Since the group of friends has aged considerably, they have decided to end their long-standing tradition after this year’s game. The men realize all good things must eventually come to an end.
Although ticket prices have increased significantly since their first Super Bowl in 1967, the friends look forward to sitting together one last time, celebrating their love for football and for one another.
2. SpaceX satellites fall out of orbit
Due to an unexpected solar storm, SpaceX’s newest satellites have fallen out of orbit.
According to AP News, 40 of the 49 satellites have been damaged and are returning to earth.
“Ground controllers tried to save the compact, flat-panel satellites by putting them into a type of hibernation and flying them in a way to minimize drag,” reports AP News. “But the atmospheric pull was too great, and the satellites failed to awaken and climb to a higher, more stable orbit, according to the company.”
The company claims the falling satellites pose no danger.
“The drag was strong enough to stop the satellites ever getting out of that "safe mode" and back into the orbit they needed to reach to be stable. Instead, "up to 40" will fall back into the Earth's atmosphere and burn up,” reports BBC World.
3. Ugandan author flees after Torture Allegations
Kakwenza Rukirabashaija, a prominent writer and government critic, fled Uganda ahead of a criminal trial.
Rukirabashaija faced exile after accusing Uganda’s security forces of torture.
Rukirabashaija said he was tortured by officials while in detention, and provided photographs of his mutilated back.
“Conditions had become impossible for him,” Eron Kiiza of Rukirabashaija told AP News. “They kept surveilling him. They took away his passport. He had no option but to go and save his life.”
Rukirabashaija proposed a bid in court to allow his wounds to be treated abroad and regain access to his passport. However, the bid was denied, and it was deemed on Monday, Feb. 7 that he had no urgent need to travel.
“Rukirabashaija, who writes satirical fiction, has been detained twice before over his work highlighting Museveni’s failures. Last year he was awarded the PEN Pinter Prize for an international writer of courage,” reports AP News.
His trial is due to begin on March 23.
