Nation IN BRIEF : TEXAS : Crew Gets Shuttle Ready for Landing
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From Times Staff and Wire Reports
Astronauts pointed the space shuttle Columbia’s belly toward the sun to start warming up the shuttle tires in preparation for next weekend’s landing. Because of the way Columbia is flying--with its tail pointed toward Earth--some parts of the shuttle are kept in frigid darkness for long periods. Flight directors in Houston want to be sure the landing gear tires maintain proper pressure, so commander Kenneth Bowersox was ordered to aim Columbia’s underside toward the sun for eight hours.
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