Astronauts Fire Shuttle’s Jets to Study Glow Around Tail Section
Associated Press
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. —
Astronauts aboard Columbia, nearing the end of their 10-day mission, fired the shuttle’s jets Friday and photographed the resulting glow around the tail of the spaceship.
Canadian Steven MacLean beamed down videotaped images of the bright flashes against a starry night sky. Researchers believe that the glow is the result of residual jet fuel and the impact of atomic oxygen on shuttle surfaces.
Columbia, with a crew of five men and one woman, is scheduled to land Sunday at the space center.
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