EDITORIAL HAPPY LANDING SUCCESSFUL SPACE SHUTTLE TRIP HELPS RESTORE CONFIDENCE.THE 13-day journey of 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 was fairly routine -- at least as routine as anything involving space travel can be. The shuttle shuttle: see loom. shuttle In the weaving of cloth, a spindle-shaped device used to carry the crosswise threads (weft) through the lengthwise threads (warp). Not all modern looms use a shuttle; shuttleless looms draw the weft from a nonmoving supply. and its crew of six landed safely Monday morning after they flew up to the space station, dropped off some goodies good·y 1 Informal interj. Used to express delight. n. also good·ie pl. good·ies Something attractive or delectable, especially something sweet to eat. and supplies, did some experiments and tests, gave a ride home to an 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. and returned home with castoffs and trash from the space station. But in terms of significance, this shuttle trip was far from ordinary. The country watched the takeoff of the shuttle with bated bate 1 tr.v. bat·ed, bat·ing, bates 1. To lessen the force or intensity of; moderate: "To his dying day he bated his breath a little when he told the story" breath. It was the first shuttle trip since the tragic explosion of Columbia three years ago killed the crew and destroyed the shuttle. In this context, Discovery was aptly named. Its safe space journey sets the stage for continuation of space exploration and the continued construction of the space station. Already the next space shuttle, Atlantis, is preparing for the next journey in August. Space, once again, is a place of hope, not fear. |
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