EDITORIAL BACK IN SPACE THE SAFE LANDING OF DISCOVERY MARKS AMERICA'S TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO HEAVENS.DELAYED by a day and its landing site moved across country overnight to Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, , the space shuttle space shuttle, reusable U.S. space vehicle. Developed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), it consists of a winged orbiter, two solid-rocket boosters, and an external tank. Discovery slipped back to Earth through the darkness Tuesday to a triumphant return. With a picture perfect landing, all seven astronauts arrived safely home again. People across the country joined in the exuberant - and much relieved - welcome of the men and women who took on the challenge and risk of putting America back into space after the tragic last attempt. But the space shuttle, which still must journey back to Florida, has been grounded until NASA NASA: see National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA in full National Aeronautics and Space Administration Independent U.S. scientists can resolve the problem that doomed Columbia 2 1/2 years ago and, after more than $1 billion worth of repairs, that dogged Discovery at launch two weeks ago. To ensure that this success in space continues, NASA's experts must now figure out why foam insulation once again broke away from the redesigned fuel tank - only this time falling away into space instead of fatally wounding the ship. Still, we all can be thankful that NASA's other safety systems worked brilliantly, making it the most documented shuttle flight in history. Though shuttle managers were accused of ``analysis paralysis'' in trying to ensure that every potential flaw was discovered and examined by engineers before the journey home, we are grateful for the team's No. 1 emphasis on astronaut astronaut, crew member on a U.S. manned spaceflight mission; the Soviet term is cosmonaut. Candidates for manned spaceflight are carefully screened to meet the highest physical and mental standards, and they undergo rigorous training. safety. And gratified grat·i·fy tr.v. grat·i·fied, grat·i·fy·ing, grat·i·fies 1. To please or satisfy: His achievement gratified his father. See Synonyms at please. 2. for the astronauts' first-ever repairs of a shuttle in flight. These men and women are our heroes, after all, for braving the dangers and taking us into the wide, wondrous world of space exploration - and all of the discoveries it holds. As NASA takes the time to regroup re·group v. re·grouped, re·group·ing, re·groups v.tr. To arrange in a new grouping. v.intr. 1. To come back together in a tactical formation, as after a dispersal in a retreat. , we await the next space mission with eternal hope and renewed anticipation. Suddenly, the moon and Mars seem that much closer, and within our reach. |
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