The nozzle problem is more serious, Hopson said, than an unrelated short circuit five seconds into the flight. Both problems happened on the first U.S. space flight to be commanded by a woman, Air Force Col. Collins Found Holes Collins, using binoculars, saw the holes as she walked around Columbia shortly after the smooth touchdown at Cape Canaveral. They knew immediately, however, when the short circuit occurred, because warning lights flashed in the cockpit. Collins said she braced for a possible emergency landing back in Florida or Africa, something never before attempted.
Engineers have yet to pinpoint the location of the short circuit.
The short knocked out the main computers for two of the three main shuttle engines. Backups promptly kicked in. The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.