Space Station Computers Back in Service

Jun 18, 05:46 PM

Current Headlines: Russian controllers fired the International Space Station's thrusters Monday, successfully testing navigation computers that malfunctioned last week.

The six Russian computers provide backup attitude control and orbital altitude adjustments for the station. The computers failed last week because of an undetermined problem, but were brought back into operation during the weekend.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration controllers in Houston said the successful test means space shuttle Atlantis and its STS-117 crew will undock from the space station Tuesday, about 10:42 a.m. EDT, and begin the return to Earth.

Atlantis arrived at the station June 10, with the crew subsequently installing another truss segment and conducting four spacewalks to activate one solar array and assist in the retraction of another, among other things. During the third spacewalk, the crew repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the shuttle.

Atlantis also delivered a new station crewmember, astronaut Clayton Anderson. He replaced astronaut Suni Williams, who is the new record holder for a long-duration single spaceflight for a woman. She arrived at the station in December with STS-116 and was to return to Earth Tuesday.