NASA’s new spacesuit shares a name with Scientology’s legendary galactic warlord!

We want to thank Frank Oliver for making us aware of something that hadn’t hit our radar yet, even though it was rolled out last October.

At the Johnson Space Center in Houston on October 15, NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine presented the new “Artemis Generation” of spacesuits that the agency plans to use to return to the Moon in 2024 as a first step to Mars.

In video of the presentation, spacesuit engineer Kristine Davis ambled onto the stage in a pressurized suit that demonstrated the greatly improved maneuverability of the new contraption.

It’s an upgrade of the previous generation of suits, known as an Extravehicular Mobility Unit or EMU for short. This new model was designed with walking around on the lunar surface in mind, and so the additional word “exploration” was added for the new name, Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit.

Or, in shorthand, xEMU.

Thanks to Robert Kaufman (1972), Richard Leiby (1981), Joel Sappell and Robert Welkos (1990), and of course the team at South Park (2005), even casual Scientology watchers know that one of the goofiest things Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard ever came up with in the millions of words he spewed in his Scientology writings and lectures was that 75 million years ago a galactic overlord named Xenu had committed a vast genocide here on Earth (known then as Teegeeack), and that the angry disembodied souls left over from that massacre are still with us here today, clustered and attached to us as “body thetans” which can only be removed with expensive Scientology counseling at hundreds of dollars an hour.

 
Hubbard twice wrote about this galactic character, who had ruled a confederation of 76 planets with trillions of people. In a 1966 work known as OT 3, Hubbard spelled his name as “Xenu,” and in a 1977 screenplay about the incident, he again used that spelling.

But in a 1968 lecture aboard the yacht Apollo that you can hear for yourself, Hubbard said that the fellow’s name could also be spelled “Xemu.” (We painstakingly went over this, and that Hubbard used both spellings, in a previous story.)

Hubbard would no doubt be tickled to know that astronauts going to the Moon in a few years would be walking around on the surface in a suit with the same name as the evil overlord he had dreamed up.

We watched the video of the presentation to see how the name was being pronounced, and NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine clearly spoke out all four letters, as “ex-ee-em-you” and not “zemoo.”

Well, that’s a shame. Perhaps the astronauts can be convinced to use the Hubbardian pronunciation.

And would it be too much to ask that a future NASA moonbase be named Arslycus?

 
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Source Code

“‘If I put in one more galaxy,’ a fellow said to me one day, ‘I’m going to sink straight through the crust of Earth.’ I don’t think he would have although the crust is only 40 miles thick and below that is nothing but molten lava. But anyway, he was getting too heavy.” — L. Ron Hubbard, April 29, 1954

 
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Overheard in the FreeZone

“Millions of beings knowingly came to earth over the last few decades on a mission to raise the vibration of the planet: Starseeds. This is a small fraction compared to the billions of new beings here that came unknowingly one way or another, but millions is still a lot. Many of them know their previous planetary race (if not direct memories, at least some knowingness). These people also sometimes have knowingness on angels (beings outside the MEST universe) so I would have thought much of the technology being released by Ron currently would be well suited to them.”

 
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Random Howdy

“In Scientology, ripping off a wog isn’t a crime, it’s a duty.”

 
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Full Court Press: What we’re watching at the Underground Bunker

Criminal prosecutions:
— Jay Spina: Sentencing was set for April 3 in White Plains
— Hanan and Rizza Islam and other family members: Trial set for October 7 in Los Angeles

Civil litigation:
— Luis and Rocio Garcia v. Scientology: Waiting for an appellate decision from the Eleventh Circuit
— Valerie Haney v. Scientology: Forced to ‘religious arbitration.’ Hearing on motion for reconsideration set for June 17
— Chrissie Bixler et al. v. Scientology and Danny Masterson: May 1 (Masterson new demurrer due), July 8 (plaintiff attorneys pro hac vice), August 31-Sept 1 (CSI/RTC demurrer against Riales, Masterson demurrer), Oct 7-19 (motions to compel arbitration)
— Jane Doe v. Scientology (in Miami): Jane Doe’s attorneys have asked for discovery, depositions (Warren McShane, Lynn Farny), amended complaint filed
— Matt and Kathy Feschbach bankruptcy appeal: Oral arguments were heard on March 11 in Jacksonville
— Brian Statler Sr v. City of Inglewood: Amended complaint filed.

 
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Scientology’s celebrities, ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and more!

We’ve been building landing pages about David Miscavige’s favorite playthings, including celebrities and ‘Ideal Orgs,’ and we’re hoping you’ll join in and help us gather as much information as we can about them. Head on over and help us with links and photos and comments.

Scientology’s celebrities, from A to Z! Find your favorite Hubbardite celeb at this index page — or suggest someone to add to the list!

Scientology’s ‘Ideal Orgs,’ from one end of the planet to the other! Help us build up pages about each these worldwide locations!

Scientology’s sneaky front groups, spreading the good news about L. Ron Hubbard while pretending to benefit society!

Scientology Lit: Books reviewed or excerpted in our weekly series. How many have you read?

 
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THE WHOLE TRACK

[ONE year ago] Scientology stepping up its promotion of chiropractic, demonizing of the AMA
[TWO years ago] As another tiny enclave of Scientologists digs deep for an Ideal Org — what would Ron say?
[THREE years ago] Garcias answer: Was Scientology not paying attention to an angry federal judge?
[FOUR years ago] Ron Miscavige, his book ‘Ruthless,’ his nervous son, and Scientology Watching’s new reality
[FIVE years ago] Want to go Clear? Has Scientology got a deal for you!
[SIX years ago] Scientology’s ‘Hogwarts’ doesn’t want you to think it’s connected to Scientology
[SEVEN years ago] Scientology Metaphysics: After Death, Will You Go to Mars or Venus?
[EIGHT years ago] Sunday Funnies: Librarians Under Assault!

 
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Posted by Tony Ortega on April 29, 2020 at 07:00

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Our new book with Paulette Cooper, Battlefield Scientology: Exposing L. Ron Hubbard’s dangerous ‘religion’ is now on sale at Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats. Our book about Paulette, The Unbreakable Miss Lovely: How the Church of Scientology tried to destroy Paulette Cooper, is on sale at Amazon in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook versions. We’ve posted photographs of Paulette and scenes from her life at a separate location. Reader Sookie put together a complete index. More information can also be found at the book’s dedicated page.

The Best of the Underground Bunker, 1995-2019 Just starting out here? We’ve picked out the most important stories we’ve covered here at the Underground Bunker (2012-2019), The Village Voice (2008-2012), New Times Los Angeles (1999-2002) and the Phoenix New Times (1995-1999)

Other links: BLOGGING DIANETICS: Reading Scientology’s founding text cover to cover | UP THE BRIDGE: Claire Headley and Bruce Hines train us as Scientologists | GETTING OUR ETHICS IN: Jefferson Hawkins explains Scientology’s system of justice | SCIENTOLOGY MYTHBUSTING: Historian Jon Atack discusses key Scientology concepts | Shelly Miscavige, 14 years gone | The Lisa McPherson story told in real time | The Cathriona White stories | The Leah Remini ‘Knowledge Reports’ | Hear audio of a Scientology excommunication | Scientology’s little day care of horrors | Whatever happened to Steve Fishman? | Felony charges for Scientology’s drug rehab scam | Why Scientology digs bomb-proof vaults in the desert | PZ Myers reads L. Ron Hubbard’s “A History of Man” | Scientology’s Master Spies | The mystery of the richest Scientologist and his wayward sons | Scientology’s shocking mistreatment of the mentally ill | The Underground Bunker’s Official Theme Song | The Underground Bunker FAQ

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Our non-Scientology stories: Robert Burnham Jr., the man who inscribed the universe | Notorious alt-right inspiration Kevin MacDonald and his theories about Jewish DNA | The selling of the “Phoenix Lights” | Astronomer Harlow Shapley‘s FBI file | Sex, spies, and local TV news | Battling Babe-Hounds: Ross Jeffries v. R. Don Steele