A source inside the Russian space agency has told ABC News that there could be a "fatal flaw" with the station's main computer.
After working for a couple of days, the Russians still have no idea what the problem is, and they are pointing the finger at the Americans. They say that setting up the solar array sent electromagnetic interference into the computer, shutting it down.
According to NASA, the computers aboard the Space Station appear to be sensitive to the noise created by the electrical interference from the solar arrays.
"They did find that these were sensitive to this power noise and in fact, a couple of instances on the ground where activiating compressors around the test stands would cause them to have upsets and shut themselves down," Mike Suffredini, NASA Space Station Program Manager, told ABC News.
So wait, NASA knew that the new solar arrays were interfering with the main computer and still allowed the installation? Am I missing something? If true, the decision to set up the solar arrays has but the lives of the astronauts and cosmonauts in jeopardy, and placed the entire mission in jeopardy.
Additionally, NASA is getting a bit crazy here with the shuttle project. Every space flight now has some damage to the thermal shield system.
Meanwhile, shuttle astronauts James Reilly and Danny Olivas from the Space Shuttle Atlantis plan to take a spacewalk Friday afternoon to repair a tear in the shuttles thermal blanket using a surgical staple. Part of the blanket peeled back during the launch.
The Atlantis shuttle crew only has enough fuel to remain docked to the Space Station until Wednesday.
Personally, I am a huge fan of the space program and feel that the space program is good for America as a whole. However, I am very disturbed that every shuttle that goes up sustains damage to the heat shields and that NASA would allow a system to be installed on the space station that effected the main system in this way. NASA has some explaining to do and needs to look inward toward better quality control.
And now for the understatement of the day:
"Things are not always going to go well. Fortunately we have a great operations team down in mission control and at the Johnson Space Center and over in Moscow ... that are working together to decide what the best course of action is," said Atlantis Cmdr. Frederick Sturckow.
Not always going to go well...you think?
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