Space: Drydock for a Used Spaceship

A triumphant Columbia returns with two faulty suits and a flat

As it came to rest on Runway 22 at California's Edwards Air Force Base last week, the space shuttle Columbia looked a little travel-weary. In the orange glow of the early-morning desert sun, the ship's protective tiles showed pits and bruises. Dark streaks lined the fuselage, and a tire was flat, apparently worn down by the friction of a wheel that locked on landing. Casting a baleful eye on the craft that has logged 10.8 million miles on five voyages, Air Force Lieut. General...

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