On Thu, 21 Aug 2003 16:12:02 GMT, (Henry Spencer)
wrote:

Not precisely. They fired the reentry *RCS* system to get control back.
That was a secondary RCS system used for attitude control during retrofire
and reentry;

Thanks, I understand that now.

I don't seem to have exact times, but I think they did wait an hour or
two before retrofire, which allowed proper preparations and the use of a
predesignated abort site which had a recovery ship handy. This wasn't a
"land at once, no matter where" emergency.

It was nearly 2 orbits later.