This Just In! Mir Accomplishes Safe Docking

When they break out the cognac aboard Mir, it's usually a sign that the cosmonauts have survived yet another harrowing test of their nerves. Today, they could be forgiven for taking a celebratory nip: In what might have been a rerun of last June's disastrous collision, the autopilot docking mechanism aboard a supply ship again failed -- but this time, Mir's commander managed to use the manual controls to safely dock the vessel. And inside the cargo vessel, for the cosmonaut who has everything, a new set of wrenches. Now they can fix that damn door.