Nation IN BRIEF : FLORIDA : Astronauts Take a Break From Needles

The space shuttle Columbia’s astronauts got a respite from being poked with needles as their two-week medical research mission neared the halfway point. officials at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center said. “We are very happy up here,” shuttle commander John Blaha said. “There are no blood draws.” Columbia’s rats weren’t so lucky--blood was drawn from veins in the tails of five of the 48 rodents on board. The five had been injected with iron and iodine so researchers can measure red blood cell production and destruction. Astronauts become somewhat anemic in space because of red blood cell loss. Researchers hope to learn how to prevent this condition as a result of the experiments.