Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 23, 1993 TAG: 9310230180
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A4 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CAPE CANAVERAL, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
For the first time, the shuttle carries a laptop computer with graphics and a control stick to simulate landings. The idea is to sharpen pilots' flying skills while the spaceship orbits.
This crew is more likely than most to get rusty. Columbia's 14-day medical research mission is the longest shuttle flight ever planned.
Commander John Blaha said it has so far been successful:
"We've been able to accomplish all our objectives and even some additional experiments."
Pilot Richard Searfoss and flight engineer William McArthur Jr. practiced on the landing simulator after a half-day off. Blaha's turn came later in the day.
The three former test pilots will assess the computer drill once they've gone through the real thing Nov. 1 at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
Searfoss considers shuttle landings extremely difficult even under the best circumstances.
"And to do that after spending a couple weeks on orbit with the [body] adaptations that come with zero-gravity and just the fact that you've not done the task for a couple weeks in the shuttle trainer aircraft . . . " Searfoss said before the flight.
Engineers at Johnson Space Center in Houston designed the computer system, called Pilot, short for Portable In-Flight Landing Operations Trainer, in less than a year for about $500,000.
Back in the shuttle laboratory, the crew's scientists resumed their medical experiments after taking the morning off. They spent much of their free time gazing down at Earth; payload commander M. Rhea Seddon described it as "a photo frenzy."
Because of the length of the mission and the number and intensity of medical tests, NASA scheduled two half-days off for the seven astronauts: Friday and next Thursday.
"I have to say the half-day off has felt pretty good," said astronaut-physician David Wolf.
The astronauts squeezed in several ham radio contacts with U.S. schools as they orbited 178 miles high.
"It's fantastic, and especially talking to young people," McArthur said. "When we do that, it makes us just really proud to be up here representing all the people of the United States. To be quite honest with you, it brings tears to my eyes."
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.