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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 24, 1981)
Page 16 THE BATTALION THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1981 National se Fuel spill delays shuttle launch United Press International CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A spill of less than three gallons of corrosive rocket propellant wiped out the Oct. 9 launch date for the space shuttle Columbia and may even force its removal from the launch pad. Shuttle launch director George Page told a news conference late Tuesday the second launch of the reusable spacecraft probably will be put off at least two weeks. Highly toxic nitrogen tetroxide propellant, leaking from a mal functioning connector valve, rol led 20 feet down the side of the orbiter early Tuesday, destroying the bonding of as many as 250 of its heatresistant tiles — and possibly even reaching the Columbia’s control system. The only personnel on the launch pad at the time were spe cially clothed crewmen pumping propellant into the onboard fuel tanks, and none was hurt. It was the second launch-pad accident involving the Columbia this year. In March, two techni cians died when they entered a shuttle compartment filled with nitrogen gas and no oxygen. “Within a short time (after Tuesday’s spill), we began to see we had a pretty serious problem,” Page said. He said 67 tiles “actual ly came loose in the hands of the technicians who were cleaning up the spill. ” The spill, estimated at between 2 and 3 gallons, occurred at a ser vicing access panel on the outside of the Columbia and technicians feared the caustic propellant may have penetrated the panel’s seals and contaminated hardware in the reaction control system, which en ables the Columbia to maneuver in space. If that has occurred, it would require time-consuming replace ment and testing of hardware to insure the orbiter maneuvering system would not malfunction in space. Page said such repairs would mean the shuttle would have to be moved from the launch pad back to the vehicle assembly building, have its external fuel tank and two rocket boosters removed, then re turned to the hangar. No manned spacecraft has ever been removed from the launch pad for repairs. Page said a team of experts will spend the next two or three days examining the spill area to deter mine the extent of the damage and to get a good idea as to the length of the delay. “We are not going to be able to N launch by the 9th Page said. “In my down a week, and more |;i, weeks at the very best. % L have a lot of work to do to gal iMontrer where we were." St. Louir Page said the mishap ort; New Yor when a “quick disconnect’,:;'Chicago malfunctioned during the (>j hiladel operation. The nitrogen tetroxide t like a solvent whenitcameii! tact with the silica tiles kit shuttle’s skin with special^ “It destroys all the propeis San Frar the bonding agent—it tali Jos Ang< and it has no adhesive (ppldanta Page said. Soviet planes detected off U.S. ittsburi [ouston mcmm SanDieg Wedna J mta 3, i Cincinnati ian Franci United Press International OTIS AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. —Two Soviet TU95D Bear reconnaisance aircraft were inter cepted by U.S. air defense jet fighters off the East Coast of the United States Tuesday, officials said Wednesday. Officials said the Soviet craft were escorted out of U.S. airspace and eventually returned to Cuba. The Soviet aircraft were de tected by North American Aeros pace Defense Command radar as they penetrated the Air Defense Identification Zone about 250 miles southeast of Nantucket, Mass. Two F-106 fighter-interceptors were scrambled from the Otis Air National Guard base and inter cepted the Soviet flight at 7:40 a.m. EDT, 220 miles southeast of Nantucket, Major Dick Pennie said. Two other F-106’s from Lang ley AFB, Virginia, and two from Charleston AFB, S.C., picked up the intercepted Soviet aircraft and escorted them as they continued their southward flight along the eastern seaboard. The Soviets remained over in ternational waters and did not again penetrate U.S. airspace. Their closest approach to the U.S. mainland was approximately 130 miles off Cherry Point, N.C., Pen nie said. The Soviet flight originated from Cuba, where they flew northward outside radar detection over the Atlantic ocean, officials said. It was the third such incident this year. In Januarydl 5Tlphi Soviet reconnaisance pl«d<>ntreal 3 intercepted by air defa fighters on a similar i course. The Soviet aircraft, whit a range ofabout8,000n under constant surveill 9:45 a.m., when they Id ADIZ, east of Savannah f Pennie said. n fiMi Appearing LIVE Thursday Night G0RDEE HEADLEE Cover *15o 4410 College Main £46-943$ OPEN TODAY 5:00 Tme/VcIHW BO DEREK-RICHARD HARRIS |<gS'MGM United Artists TODAY 5:15 7:25 9:45 n CORNER OF UNfV / COLLEGE AVE ADULT *2 00 FIRST 30 MIN • FROM OPENING Dudtey Moore UzaMrmeS Arthur PG 4TH BIG WEEK! TODAY 5:30 7:35 9:35 Couple claims 235 kids for $350,000 in welfare tl S United H0USTC light of yes. Riel compk major atro had United Press International LOS ANGELES — Johnnie and Francis Morris collected near ly $350,000 by claiming 235 diffe rent children in one of the coun ty’s largest welfare fraud cases. Sometimes they borrowed other people’s children to apply for aid. The couple was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison. Morris, 35, and his 39-year-old wife pleaded guilty' in March 1980 to four counts of welfare fraud and three counts of forgery. Mrs. Mor ris also admitted to a charge of perjury. Sentencing was delayed 17 months to give the couple time to reimburse the county, but they failed to raise the needed amount. Investigators said the It: ^ ^, presented forged birth cerb L - ri ‘ and sometimes borrowed; L i people’s children fonvelfc Lii’ bility workers to seewhei t A f applied for aid. Other members of lit > f allegedly obtained Social Sk y ( 0 g. numbers for fictitious i j lree m and took out phony help cash De majoi CAMPUS THEATRE NOW SHOWING licenses ^ . »*., checks. f 1 keep 1 The arrests followed anii* 1 ^ * tak gation lasting twoandah#^ t e ^ r ^ n up on n aid Ma Engineering Graduates Tonight Is Discount Night All Tickets Just $1.50 At 7:40 & 9:50 Bill Murray MANOR EASTf It was al ro hit, WELCOME BACK AGSIES. THIS YEAB FOR Wfflfl YEAH, THE MAHOH EAST 3 Will GIVE WIlKWHUp Bfr.in in inMKSinM p«irf wrm MfSFHTtTW:"®! 1 ui u\ STRIPES” Join Valero in San Antonio le in his e night United 1 ILINGT stop Par with M Iho Villa : of the s ; for I lean Lea Jut toda who I Aimes, ai it way. ema hit £ [foul pol ! Wedne [first run [altering was t ue homt I up at t her after (exico le; The State of the Art in Living Animation Valero Energy Corporation is involved in refining, chemical processing, pipeline operation, exploration and production and related energy programs. Valero will be on campus recruiting Engineering Graduates on September30,1981, For more information see your placement office. Equal Opportunity Employer M/F sju NALERO IK ENERGY CORPORATION I E N ■ V ' ... ../ : : ; . ■: MSC Cepheid Variablt !, ie ma mat 1 his hor •h was 1 Dave H mg. Hei fling run Thurs, Sept I 7:30 - 10:00 Rudder Theatre r thos