Shuttle Crew Fixes Crucial Air Purifier
From Times Wire Reports
Space shuttle Columbia’s astronauts successfully restarted a critical air purifier after it failed and threatened to cut short their two-week science mission, Kennedy Space Center officials reported. With a few twists and snips, commander Richard Searfoss removed one end of a small hose in the stalled carbon dioxide removal unit and blocked it with tape. He then reinstalled the hose, bypassing a leaky valve. When he turned on the carbon dioxide removal unit, the light came on. To everyone’s relief, it stayed on.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
