Friday October 30,1998
Campus/Nation
7A
John Glenn blasts back into space
The Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — John Glenn rocketed back into orbit yesterday on a mission of science and sentiment, returning as the world's oldest astronaut to the high frontier he pioneered for America 36 years ago.
"Let the wings of Discovery lift us on to the future," said launch control in its final words to the seven-member crew before lifoft.
"Liftoff of Discovery with a crew of six astronaut heroes and one American legend," added launch commentator Lisa Malone.
Discovery rose majestically from its seaside launch pad, riding the roaring flame of its five rocket engines through a cloudless blue sky. The craft quickly gained speed, arched toward the east and slowly faded from view, gaining orbit 81/2 minutes after liftoff.
"America is very, very proud of you today." President Clinton told NASA engineers at the launch control center.
Glenn's journey began 19 minutes late — a lot better than his first trip to orbit in 1962, when he had to endure 10 postponements during two months.
The countdown had proceeded flawlessly until about 10 minutes before the scheduled 2 p.m. launch, when an alarm sounded inside Discovery's cockpit, triggering a nine-minute delay. Shortly after the count resumed, it had to be held
Students gather for historic launch
By Pallavi Agarwal
Kansan staff writer
In a noisy environment filled with entertaining distractions, some students found the most appealing diversion to be the television broadcast of 77-year-old John Glenn's return to space.
About 10 students gathered yesterday around the two TV sets in the Kansas Union Jaybowl, while others watched the shuttle launch on other TV sets throughout the Union.
"John Glenn's flight makes it more interesting," said Michael Norris, Paola senior. "These days you don't even know when space shuttles take off."
As Glenn sped into space, Pat Allen, Overland Park freshman, relived a 12-year-old experience that he considered the most awe-inspiring of his life.
enced. Everything shakes," he said of a 1986 shuttle launch that he witnessed with his family.
As Allen watched the space shuttle disappeared into the sky on television, he said that space launches were a lot faster than what they appeared on TV.
"That is deceiving," he said of the TV transmission.
Glenn: Returned to space on the space shuttle Discovery.
Allen said that during the live launch he spent almost six hours, waiting with binoculars.
"You get there in the morning," he said. "You pretty much spend the whole day."
For a group of Wichita high school students in the Jaybowl, the
University of Kansas took precedence above Glenn as far as things of interest.
Antwum Pless, a 10th grade student of Heights School in Wichita, is in Lawrence with friends to tour the KU campus.
He said he and his buddies were not concerned with the launch and instead spent time playing pool and video games.
Some students at the Hawk's Nest were disappointed at not being able to watch the launch on TV.
Linda Kelly, cashier at the Hawk's Nest said that the TV had not worked for more than a week.
That didn't stop others, such as Ben Siegan, Chicago senior, from pursuing other avenues.
Siegan, left the Hawk's Nest and found a working TV on the union's fourth floor. He said he was happy that the launch went off well.
"Now, it's business as usual," he said.
manned mission. He returned to space on the nation's 123rd manned mission.
NASA spokesman Bruce Buckingham estimated there may well be a million people watching, including residents and visitors.
Clinton called it a great day for America and a great day for senior citizens.
Veteran observers said the
frenzy fronzi rivaled that of missions to the moon and far exceeded most shuttle flights. Nearby highways and beaches were lined with RVs, cars and tents.
But the pills also can cause life-threatening side effects, so Food and Drug Administration representatives demanded that doctors carefully considered which women really
again briefly when a plane intruded into the restricted area.
The weather was perfect for writing a new chapter in space history — temperatures in the 80s and calm winds with just occasional gusts.
WASHINGTON — In a landmark decision, the government cleared the powerful drug tamoxifen yesterday as a way for healthy women at very high risk of breast cancer to cut their odds of getting a tumor. The decision could affect millions of women.
The Associated Press
needed the drug — and urged anyone considering it to get all the facts first.
pros and cons of taking a side effect-prone drug every day for up to five years to ward off a frightening disease they may, or may not, ever get.
"It's not a magic pill to be taken as you would an aspirin," Alain cautioned. "It's nothing you need to rush out tomorrow and do."
Tamoxifen, used for 25 years to battle existing breast cancer, began making headlines as a possible tumor preventer last spring. A National Cancer Institute study found high-risk women who took the
"The key here is to be an informed customer."
FACT Acting Commissioner Michael Friedman, a cancer specialist. "But it is not universally beneficial and shouldn't be misused. The key here is to be an informed consumer."
Glenn, 77, was the first American in orbit in 1962, on the third U.S.
The FDA's action makes tamoxifen the first medicine to win formal government approval as a way to reduce the risk of cancer.
Michael Friedman FDA Acting Commissioner
But it also will require sophisticated decision-making by consumers, as healthy women weigh the
"That makes it a monumental decision," said Kathy Albain of Loyola University Medical School, an independent adviser to the FDA.
pills daily cut their chances of developing breast cancer by 44 percent.
Medically, that's a significant reduction. In real-life terms, some 6,600
American women who took tamoxifen for at least 3 1/2 years had 69 fewer breast tumors than 6,000 women who took a dummy pill.
Tamoxifen can cause serious side effects: It doubled women's risk of uterine cancer, tripled the risk of potentially fatal blood clots and increased chances of developing cataracts in the eyes.
Despite much hype, there's no proof that tamoxifen truly prevents breast cancer — it may just delay an inevitable tumor, the FDA cautioned. Also, it helped fight just one specific type of tumor.
Attention KU Freshmen:
We Want to Know If You Have Your Own Computer
Academic Computing Services needs your help in preparing a survey on student computing at KU. This survey will help us provide better advice on network and computing support to students who are bringing their own computers with them to KU.
KU Freshmen can complete the survey by:
- Logging on to a web site
- (www.ukans.edu/home/survey).
- Answering six multiple0choice questions on
- computing at KU.
- Completing this task by Sunday, November 1.
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