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International space station's Russian computers down

The Russian computers that help keep the International Space Station in orbit were out of commission for the second day, a glitch that could imperil the US$100 billion orbiting laboratory if it is not corrected.

NASA officials expressed confidence, however, that the problem could be resolved.

"I fully expect us to be able to do this," said Michael Suffredini, manager of the station program.

The station depends on Russian and American computer systems to maintain the attitude of the station as it orbits the Earth. The US computer system runs the network of gyroscopes that provide stability, and the Russian system controls thrusters that correct the orientation of the station when the gyroscopes alone cannot do the job and shift position for operations like docking and avoiding debris.

The problem first emerged on Tuesday as astronauts were connecting a new 17.2-ton (15.6-tonne) truss to the station. The three navigation computers in the Russian section crashed and could not be rebooted. Thruster control was passed to the shuttle Atlantis, which has enough fuel to provide the attitude adjustment service for several days.

"That's not an urgent situation," Suffredini said. "But clearly, we need to get this resolved before the shuttle leaves."

He said Russians and Americans were trying to figure out whether the problem was related to the added mass of the new truss, the additional power from the new panels, or other issues.

If the problem is not corrected, the station could be unable to maintain the best position for charging its solar arrays when the gyroscopes become overloaded, and, at worst, could cause it to tumble from orbit.

On Wednesday, astronauts Patrick Forrester, a retired Air Force colonel, and Steven Swanson, spent more than seven hours outside the station, working to free a rotating joint that will allow the station's new solar arrays to track the sun.
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