Jun 15, 2007, 17:02 GMT
Moscow/Washington - Russian space officials Friday said they were considering bumping up the launch date of a spacecraft to bring new energy sources for failing computers that are critical to the operation of the International Space Station.
The space shuttle Atlantis is seen in this image from NASA TV docked to the International Space Station where the crew is preparing for a spacewalk to repair the shuttle's torn thermal blanket, June 15, 2007. REUTERS/NASA
The Russian spacecraft Progress, scheduled for an August launch, could be sent up at the end of July if cosmonauts on board the ISS fail to solve a mysterious computer malfunction of systems that control the station's positioning.
'A possible delivery of new sources of energy for the computers is being worked out. Accordingly, the launch of the Progress could be moved forward by two weeks,' said Nikolai Sevastyanov, president of Energia, the firm that produces Russia's space rockets.
US astronauts meanwhile were going ahead with their third spacewalk this week outside the station. Astronauts John 'Danny' Olivas and James Reilly were to enter the open cosmos at 1738 GMT to fix a protruding thermal blanket on the docked space shuttle Atlantis, as well as install a valve connected to the station's oxygen system and help retract an old solar panel.
The Russian computers began experiencing problems earlier this week, thought to be due to static or noise caused by variations in electric signals - similar to the effect a mobile phone receiving a call can have on a television or computer.
Sevastyanov on Friday said the new solar array installed this week by US astronauts was to blame for the disturbance, which has only affected Russian computers on the space station. NASA's ISS flight director Mike Suffredini acknowledged that possibility in a press conference in Houston, Texas, Thursday night, but said it was not an inherit design problem with the solar panels.
While the US computers have not been affected, Sevastyanov said static electricity from the panels had knocked out the Russian computers' power.
The computers remained off Friday as troubleshooting measures were underway. A new attempt to get the computers online would be conducted Saturday, he added in remarks run by Interfax.
'If that doesn't work, we'll have to wait until the (arrival of) the Progress, which will deliver reserve energy sources,' Sevastyanov said.
The Progress, a cargo craft, is currently scheduled for an August launch but could be sent July 23 if the new energy sources are needed.
Sevastyanov emphasized that the crew's ability to live on the station was not affected by the problems, and that upcoming events including the docking of the Progress and any US shuttles could be managed without the Russian segment of the ISS.
Energia also said Friday that it had contacted NASA to request the space shuttle Atlantis bring back one of the computers for analysis when it leaves the ISS next week.
The problems have concerned NASA enough to take energy saving measures on the Atlantis so that it could stay in space another extra day if it is needed to stabilize the ISS. The robot arm and other non-necessary systems were turned off.
The Russian computers are used to hold the ISS on course so that it circles the Earth at a steady level and keeps its solar panels pointed toward the sun to have enough energy.
The ISS is not endangered as long as a gyroscope in the US part of the station can hold it on course. If that were also to fail, the Atlantis could provide stabilization.
The computer problems were not expected to affect the US astronauts' spacewalk Friday, a spokesman for Russia's Mission Control in suburban Moscow said.
'The astronauts will leave the American module (of the ISS) in American spacesuits. Therefore the problems with the Russian computers won't affect the order of their work,' Sergei Puzanov said in remarks run by Interfax.
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