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06-14-2007, 10:27 AM
By Marc Kaufman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 14, 2007; 11:44 AM
Three Russian computer systems essential to the operation of the International Space Station failed last night, leading NASA to begin making contingency plans that include potentially abandoning the $100 billion facility.
NASA officials said this morning that the situation appeared to be improving and that some computer communication had been restored to the Russian system. The computers appeared to be stuck in a rebooting cycle.
The computer systems -- which began to have problems the day after a new array of solar panels was unfurled, creating an additional source of electric power, control four gyroscopes that are needed to keep the station properly oriented. They are also essential for the oxygen-production and carbon-dioxide scrubbing systems for the air the astronauts breathe.
The three-person crew of the station was joined earlier this week by a seven-man team on the space shuttle Atlantis. NASA officials said they are currently in no danger.
Michael Suffredini, manager of the space station program at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, said intensive work to restore the computer functions began this morning when the station's orbit brought it near its Russian control station and would continue through the day.
"I fully expect us to be able to do this," he said. "I'm not thinking this is something we will not recover from."
But as a precaution, he said, NASA was looking into options to further extend the shuttle's stay, since its power and thrusters could be used to keep the station properly situated to keep the solar panels facing the sun. Returning the station's crew to Earth would be the worst-case scenario.
In the meantime, NASA officials said, all unessential power use was being restricted.
Atlantis astronauts attached a new 36,000-pound solar array truss segment to the station on Monday, giving the orbiting space facility an additional 20 kilowatts of power. One Russian command-and-control computer failed on Tuesday, and the other two last night.
The computers on the Russian segment of the space station, called Zarya, control the lab's orientation and can adjust the space station's orbit by firing rocket thrusters in the Zvezda command module. If the Russian oxygen-production machine cannot be restored, the space station has a 56-day supply of oxygen available.
Atlantis astronauts have already conducted two spacewalks this week, and have another scheduled for tomorrow when they will repair a piece of protruding insulation near the rear of the shuttle. A corner of the thermal blanket pulled away during launch from the orbital maneuvering system.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 14, 2007; 11:44 AM
Three Russian computer systems essential to the operation of the International Space Station failed last night, leading NASA to begin making contingency plans that include potentially abandoning the $100 billion facility.
NASA officials said this morning that the situation appeared to be improving and that some computer communication had been restored to the Russian system. The computers appeared to be stuck in a rebooting cycle.
The computer systems -- which began to have problems the day after a new array of solar panels was unfurled, creating an additional source of electric power, control four gyroscopes that are needed to keep the station properly oriented. They are also essential for the oxygen-production and carbon-dioxide scrubbing systems for the air the astronauts breathe.
The three-person crew of the station was joined earlier this week by a seven-man team on the space shuttle Atlantis. NASA officials said they are currently in no danger.
Michael Suffredini, manager of the space station program at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, said intensive work to restore the computer functions began this morning when the station's orbit brought it near its Russian control station and would continue through the day.
"I fully expect us to be able to do this," he said. "I'm not thinking this is something we will not recover from."
But as a precaution, he said, NASA was looking into options to further extend the shuttle's stay, since its power and thrusters could be used to keep the station properly situated to keep the solar panels facing the sun. Returning the station's crew to Earth would be the worst-case scenario.
In the meantime, NASA officials said, all unessential power use was being restricted.
Atlantis astronauts attached a new 36,000-pound solar array truss segment to the station on Monday, giving the orbiting space facility an additional 20 kilowatts of power. One Russian command-and-control computer failed on Tuesday, and the other two last night.
The computers on the Russian segment of the space station, called Zarya, control the lab's orientation and can adjust the space station's orbit by firing rocket thrusters in the Zvezda command module. If the Russian oxygen-production machine cannot be restored, the space station has a 56-day supply of oxygen available.
Atlantis astronauts have already conducted two spacewalks this week, and have another scheduled for tomorrow when they will repair a piece of protruding insulation near the rear of the shuttle. A corner of the thermal blanket pulled away during launch from the orbital maneuvering system.