Iss Gyroscope Successfully Repaired
Posted on: Thursday, 1 July 2004, 06:00 CDT
KOROLYOV (MOSCOW REGION). July 1 (Interfax) - A malfunctioning gyroscope on the International Space Station (ISS) was repaired by two astronauts during a spacewalk on Thursday, flight chief of the ISS's Russian segment Vladimir Solovyov told the press.
During the nearly 6-hour spacewalk, Commander Gennady Padalka and NASA Science Officer Mike Fincke replaced a remote power controller that failed in April and de-energized one of the four gyroscopes maintaining the station's orientation.
"The gyroscope has been repaired, which means that three out of the four gyroscopes controlling the ISS's orientation are operating properly. It is now possible to maintain the station's orientation without expending fuel," Solovyov said.
The fourth gyroscope is currently impossible to repair because spare parts for it have to be delivered by a Space Shuttle, which have not yet resumed flight missions since the Columbia disaster in January 2003.
Padalka and Fincke also succeeded in restoring a device measuring the vacuum near the ISS's outer surface, and other equipment, Solovyov said.
"Taking into account that there was some criticism about the cosmonauts' work earlier, we felt today that the crew had seriously prepared for the mission," he said.
Related Articles
- New NASA Software Installed on ISS
- Russian Craft Used to Raise Space Station's Orbit in "Test" Manoeuvre
- Shuttle astronauts work on station gyroscope
- Shuttle Astronauts Work on Space Station Gyroscope
- Astronauts Work to Fix Station's Gyroscope
- Stalling of US Gyroscopes Costs Space Station Precious Fuel
- International Space Station Gyroscope Stops Working
- Russia successfully launches new crew for international space station
- Russian rocket and ISS payload about to start slow rail journey to launch pad
- Russians deny US gyroscopes fail aboard space station
 |
 |
User Comments (0)
RSS Feeds