A major, new problem popped up on the ISS on Wednesday -- the failure of key computers that could in an extreme scenario force the crew off the station.
HOUSTON: A crippling flaw in the crucial Russian computers on board the International Space Station (ISS) has added to the problems of Atlantic Space Shuttle whose return to earth with Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams and six others is likely to be delayed further.
The failure of the computers, which control the international space station's positioning, have NASA managers considering another extension of space shuttle Atlantis' voyage to the orbiting outpost, officials said. Without the computers, the station cannot maintain proper orbit and its crew cannot stay on board in a worstcase scenario.
The Atlantis, on its first mission this year, blasted off last Friday to bring back Sunita after her record six-month space sojourn and was due to return next Tuesday.
The mission, originally scheduled for 11 days, was extended by two days already so that astronauts can go on a spacewalk to repair a thermal blanket covering an engine pod that peeled up during launch.
Since the computers failed earlier this week,thrusters on the docked space shuttle have been fired periodically to help maintain the space station's positioning.
NASA managers hoped to have the computers back up before Atlantis and its seven crew members undock from the 16-nation space station . But if the computers are not functioning, NASA may look into extending the space shuttle's stay a day or two.
The extension is being considered since the shuttle's altitude-control jets and life support could be used to supplement the station while engineers work on the problem.
Space station programme manager Mike Suffredini said yesterday he expected the computer problem to be fixed in the next couple of days. The astronauts will look at the thermal tear problem during the third of the fourth spacewalks scheduled for Friday.
In a worst-case scenario, if at least one of the computers was not operating after the shuttle left, the space station's three crew members could return to Earth, he said.
"We always have an option to depart," Suffredini said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}