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University Daily Kansan / Monday, December 2, 1991
Space shuttle lands early because of navigational-unit failure
The Associated Press
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — Space shuttle Atlantis sailed through an overcast desert sky and returned home with six astronauts yesterday, ending a military mission cut short by a failed navigational unit.
Atlantis landed on the dry lakedeb at 2:35 p.m. The ship's arrival was heralded by its crew.
"Welcome home Atlantis and congratulations on a great flight, 'Mission Control' Bob Cabana told shuttle commander Frederick Gregory after the orbiter rolled to a stop.
Atlantis circled the world 109 times and
logged 2.9 million miles in the journey, which began a week ago. The shuttle successfully deployed a $300 million satellite a week ago to provide early warning of enemy missile attacks, space launches and nuclear explosions.
The astronauts were all in excellent health after their flight and planned to stay in California overnight before returning home to Houston today, said Steve Nagel, acting chief of NASA's astronaut office.
The shuttle's condition "looks very, very good —very few dings on the tiles" that protect it from the heat of re-entry, he added.
Because of the prospect of high winds, NASA decided to skip the shuttle's first landing opportunity, which was 11½ hours, or one orbit, earlier than the actual touchdown. "As it turned out, they could have landed on the first opportunity," Nail said.
NASA shortened the mission by three days after a navigational unit failed Saturday. Nagel said that the spaceship's two other guidance units worked just fine during re-entry and that the crew was never in any danger.
Flight rules stipulate that a shuttle return as soon as possible to Edwards, rather than the other landing sites, when a navigational unit
fails. The 44-square-mile dry lakedest is considered the least risky touchdown shot.
About 2,700 people gathered in 54-degree weather to watch as Atlantis arrived at the base.
The shuttle rolled almost to the end of the 5.2-mile runway before its brakes were applied to test the hardness of the runway, which may be used for more landings in the future, Nagel said.
Some observers noticed a small object on the runway after the landing, but Nagel said he didn't know whether the object fell from the shuttle or came from a vehicle in the convoy
that greets the spacecraft.
Before the landing, flight director Phil Engelau said the shuttle could飞 just "fine" with two navigational devices, called inertial measurement units, or IMUs. The units tell on-board computers where the shuttle is and how fast it's going.
The failed unit was disconnected from the orbiter computer system. Although the device was able to provide correct data on the ship's orientation, it gave the wrong speed, NASA said.
The shuttle was not supposed to return until Wednesday, after 10 days in space.
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presents plays with bite...
A "First Monday" Staged Reading Directed by PAUL STEPHEN LIM
Featuring PAUL HOUGH in the part originated by Brad Davis in New York
ers: ALLAN HANSON, DICK COLYER,
GRANT K. GOODMAN, GAYLE GREENE,
MICHAEL MOORE, JOE McCAULEY,
JEREL TAYLOR, KENTARO FUKUDA &
JEFF WARNER
Other Players:
$5 CONTRIBUTION AT THE DOOR
ALL PROCEEDS FROM THIS SPECIAL EVENT WILL BE DONATED TO
THE DOUGLAS COUNTY AIDS PROJECT (DCAP)
Monday...December 2nd...8 p.m..DOWNS AUDITORIUM/DYCHE HALL/KU
Co-sponsored by English Alternative Theatre and Student Senate AIDS Task Force
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