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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 2002)
s ACCIELt E BATTAii thing else g e note, wift; -'h Fallon sinji 'ne wrong tol, ilarious lyrics, gift, but it’s like this I m an idiot aa i Basketball;; has an eeries- Fonight” byK( s the track "Sd ipts to mocktrt but ends up ocker himself, my and stay as issible, with nonsensical .uld humoral).: yable. ’t impressedb and part of tk nedy, should its of Fallon i is makingtb it ions seem cx -up portionisi auditions for oils. He does ties trying os i Williams an: ess ions arew iginals that o? ch free time ssions” area tits about coliK tasically such auditions for lit to the “Troll I Jingles” tip: •odies of differ J2 and Dave >f favorites sue: Fou Say” prow "D. tt be somethin! a party, or ver so often. »kn \ campus life Jhe 'elcome release. -Nishat Fatwi- space Dwn iend NATION the battalion 5A Monday, September 30, 2002 Safety concerns linger as NASA hopes to launch shuttle Atlantis Tiny cracks that grounded a fleet A total of 11 hairline cracks were found in metal liners inside the fuel lines of the shuttles Atlantis, Discovery, Columbia and Endeavour. The cracks, none of which is longer than three-tenths of an inch, prompted officials to take the entire fleet out of service. Metal flow liners are inserted inside bends in the fuel line Their function is to make hydrogen fuel flow more smoothly and efficiently. Hydrogen fuel line Hydrogen fuel tanks The fear was that the cracks could cause the metal to chip, sparking a launch explosion. AP CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — First, hairline cracks were discovered in each of NASA’s space shuttles, ground ing all flights. Then bigger cracks were found in the plat forms used to transport the shut tles to their pads. The agency hopes to end its summer of discontentment with the launch of space shuttle Atlantis on Wednesday, but the criticism continues. For one retired NASA engi neer, the cracks point out just how old the space shuttle fleet is — and how vulnerable. “Not only is it old, but they tested the dang-gone thing to death” during the three-year moratorium on flights following the Challenger explosion, said Don Nelson, whose career spanned Gemini, Apollo and the space shuttle. He’s pushing for a full- fledged escape system, and until then limited crews of four, because “there’s always some thing in there that’s a potential” for disaster. “A failure rate of 1-in-500 is nothing to brag about,” Nelson said. “It’s a terrible failure rate when you’re talking about car rying human passengers.” In the first space shuttle flight since June, Atlantis will carry up six astronauts, includ ing David Wolf, who lived on Russia’s Mir space station fol lowing the near-catastrophic collision of 1997. He is satisfied with the crack repairs but wor ries the time-consuming work may have diverted attention from other potential problems. “Therein lies the real risk induced by the cracks,” Wolf said. The space shuttle fuel lines just above the main engines were found to be cracked in all four ships. Engineers suspect the flaws may have been around since the program began in 1981 but escaped detection. Although the cracks were small and in some cases almost invisible, NASA worried they might grow and send metal frag ments hurtling into an engine like shrapnel, with catastrophic results. Unprecedented welding was ordered, and all flights were put on hold in the first ground ing of the fleet since 1999, when damaged wiring halted launches for five months. The much larger cracks in the Apollo-era shuttle haulers popped up in the bearings. NASA surprisingly was able to order more of the giant bear ings, initially used to support moonships. “Crack plus crack plus crack equal sky is falling,” said Kennedy Space Center’s direc tor, Roy Bridges, exasperated by the complaints. “The sky is NOT falling.” Bridges acknowledges that much of Kennedy’s Apollo-era equipment and buildings need to be modernized, given that the space shuttles face another decade or two of flight. He had hoped to have an up-to-date computer system in the launch control center two years ago, but the project fell behind, threat ened to cost hundreds of mil lions of dollars more than planned and, as a result, was canceled two weeks ago. In its latest annual report, the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel criticized NASA for put- SOURCE: NASA ting off maintenance and improvements to shuttle-related equipment and buildings. “If restoration continues to be delayed, it will reach a point at which it may be impossible to recover,” the panel warned. “At best, this will be a costly nuisance prompting delays and the need for expedited repairs. At worst, safety can be compromised.” That best-case scenario already played out with the shuttle transporters. The last time Atlantis was being readied for liftoff, in April, a pipe on the exterior of the Apollo-era launch platform cracked and clouds of highly flammable hydrogen fuel billowed into the air. The flight was postponed nearly a week while NASA fixed the ruptured line. “Everybody would be thrilled to death if the good fairy came and told us there was enough money to rebuild all our infrastructure,” said flight direc tor Phil Engelauf. “But 1 don’t think that there’s any sense that we can’t continue to operate with the hardware that we’ve got. We just need to keep our selves focused on keeping it all maintained.” That’s good news for Jerry Goudy, the master welder who repaired Atlantis’ cracked plumbing. “As the fleet ages, welders will be a hotter item,” he said with a smile. Testing shows nation has enough smallpox vaccine for everyone SAN DIEGO (AP) — By diluting long- stored doses, the United States now has more than enough smallpox vaccine to pro tect everyone in case of a bioterrorist attack, a top health official said Sunday. Testing some of the 86 million doses of vaccine that came to light last March shows that they can be watered down and still offer potent protection against smallpox. Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Sunday that the diluted vaccine has been tried on more than 100 volunteers to see if it still works. The results show this cache alone contains enough to vaccinate everyone in an emergency. This is very reassuring,” Fauci said. He spoke at an infectious disease conference in San Diego sponsored by the American Society for Microbiology. The last smallpox case in the United tates was in 1949, and routine vaccination stopped in 1972. However, the Soviet Union stockpiled tons of the virus during the Cold War, and experts worry some of that might be used as a weapon by terrorists. Many experts assumed that vaccination would begin again once new smallpox cases were discovered. But last week, government officials said they are planning to offer smallpox vaccine before such an attack to all 280 million Americans. However, that would involve distribut ing vaccine that is still being made for the government. The first of that supply should arrive early next year from Acambis Inc., which has been contracted to make 209 million doses. In the meantime,- health officials would have to rely on batches of vaccine left over from decades ago if smallpox is somehow released before the new vaccine is ready. Until recently, the only known supply was 15 million doses of a vaccine called Dryvax, made 20 years ago. Government studies showed it could be diluted 5 to 1, making 75 million doses. Still, that was not enough. In March, the pharmaceutical firm Aventis Pasteur announced that it was giving the govern ment 86 million doses that had sat nearly unnoticed in a walk-in freezer at a remote mountainside lab in Pennsylvania since the 1970s. No one knew, though, whether that vac cine, like Dryvax, could be diluted. Fauci said Sunday that tests show the Aventis Pasteur vaccine can be watered down at least as well as the other vaccine. That means that, when cut 5 to 1, there will be more than 300 million doses. “We really are fully protected. We have enough doses to cover everyone right now ” said Dr. Michael Osterholm of the University of Minnesota, a bioterrorism adviser to Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson. Whether everyone would need to be vac cinated, however, is unclear. Many adults were vaccinated in childhood, and even though defenses against the virus fade over time, experts assume many retain some pro tection against smallpox. NEWS IN BRIEF Man arrested at airport with boxcutters hidden in lotion bottle, scissors in soap ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - A Bulgarian national was arrested Sunday at Atlantic City International Airport after federal screeners °und a pair of scissors embedded in a bar of soap and two box- CU M? rS ' n a ' ot ' on bottle in his backpack. Nikolay Volodicv Dzhonev, 21, was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon. Egg Harbor Township police said Dzhonev was De| ng held on $100,000 bail. Authorities said the man was a student from Bulgaria with a summer visa allowing him to work at an Atlantic City-area convenience store. He was the last passenger to pass through screening Sunday for a flight from Atlantic City to Myrtle Beach, S.C., Transportation Security Administration spokesman Robert Johnson said. When his backpack went through the X-ray machine, screeners spotted the scissors and pulled him aside, he said. A search of the backpack turned up the scissors, embedded in a bar of soap, and the boxcutters hidden in a lotion bottle, Johnson said. tiMtnr Scores fiifttur Scftfitte ClassSize-8 LSAT Classes Starting Soon! • Maximum of eight students in a class • Expert, enthusiastic instructors • Free extra help zvith your instructor • Guaranteed satisfaction L Space is Limited, Enroll Now! 'wvw.PrincetonReview.com \ 800-2Reyiew LSAT is a registered trademark of the Law School Administrative Council (LSAC). The Princeton Review is not affiliated with Princeton University or I SA I Cameron Reynolds Attorney At Law Licensed by the Texas Supreme Court Not Board Certified Class of ‘91 Jim James Attorney At Law Board Certified Criminal Law Class of ‘75 SPECIALIZING IN THE DEFENSE OF CRIMINAL^ CHARGES INCLUDING: V Driving While Intoxicated All Alcohol and Drug Offenses All other Criminal Offenses 979-846-1934 e-mail: jim@tca.net website: http://jimwjames.wld.com J 1 Monday Night Football! Denver vs. Baltimore $500 <)() Cash Giveaway Plus tickets to Bocktoberfest in Shiner,TX on October 19' 1 and a ride on the Fox and Hound Party Bus to be given away at the end of every quarter. Ask us about our Front Row Fan Club. Win a VIP Party for Monday Night Football. Register for our weekly giveaway. Call for details 846-021 I r AMA American Marketing Association Next meeting will be a fundraiser @ Johnny Canno's On Tuesday, October 1, 2002 Eat @ Johnny Carina's between 7-9 PM and a portion of the nights total will go to Still Creek Boys and Girls Ranch *Prize for the member who brings the most people* Be sure to mention you're with the AMA fundraiser Must pay with cash or check Bring your friends A roommates and support Still Creek Boys and Girls Ranchi wehner.tomu.edu/AMA J PASSPORT TO CAREERS r for LIBERAL ARTS MAJORS ^ September 30- “Career Safari” Learn how to choose a career. Student Counseling Center 6:00p.m. -103 Henderson Hall ^ October 2- “Destination: Real World” Team how to develop competitive workplace skills. Career Center 6:00p.m. - 209 Koldus ^ October 7- “Adventures in Education” Teacher Certification & Graduate School Preparation 6:00p.m. -106 PSYC ► October 10- “Been There.-Done That” Student Panel: Study Abroad/Work Abroad, Internships 6:00pm. -106 PSYC NW- * Attend 3 out of 4 nights to be eligible for a drawing for a DVD player *Door prizes and refreshments every evening Sponsored by College of Liberal Arts, Career Center, Student Counseling Service, and i.ibcral Arts Student Council en's Center Texas A&.M UmYentty Presents "The Subtleties el hfitekcstlon in Dully Life: kmeFemlnltfcCtues* • • Cynthia Enloe, Ph.d is Professor of Government at Clari: University. A renowned educator, feminist, and political scientist, Enloe is also the author of over 30 publications. This talk will focus on how militarization works, and how It not only shapes women's and men's lives differently, but how militarization actually depends on certain ideas about ‘-and actions of- women. Thursday, Oct 3; 7 pm, M$C 206. Co-Sponsors: The Meibem G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research, Dean of Faculties, George Bush School of Government and Public Service, Military Studies Institute, Sociology Department, and the Women's Studies Program. For mure details, contact the Women '$ Center at wcentenciiamu.edu or 845-8784
