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 CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - NASA said Tuesday it will institute strict crowd control for space shuttle launches and landings, and rely more on a seldom-used touchdown site in New Mexico, to better protect the public once flights resume in a few months.
Columbia's breakup during re-entry forced a re-evaluation of the space agency's public safety policy. More than 85,000 pounds of debris rained down on Texas and Louisiana as Columbia headed toward its Cape Canaveral landing strip in February 2003. No one was injured by the falling pieces.
"Philosophically, what we're trying to do ... is to ensure that whatever it is we're doing, does not add significantly to the overall risk that the public already accepts," said Bryan O'Connor, chief of safety and mission assurance and a former shuttle commander.
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