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NASA rejects ISS safety fears
(CNN) -- Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) say they aren't worried about safety conditions despite the fact key environmental monitoring devices are not working. The malfunctioning instruments normally test for the concentration of tiny contaminants in air and water, which could poison crewmembers. Weeks before the new space station crew blasted into orbit aboard a Russian space capsule, NASA engineers tried to stop the launch amid concerns over air and water quality. But despite the warnings, managers concluded that sending a fresh crew to the station was safe. That was backed up by one of the new crewmembers, Michael Foale, who told reporters in a televised link-up Thursday he has no worries about breathing the air or drinking the water. "I was aware of that and I heard that from my flight surgeon three or four weeks ago," he said, in response to questions about the failed sensors. "But I also understood the context in which that was raised," he added. Foale and fellow crewmembers, Russia's Alexander Kaleri and Spain's Pedro Duque, docked with the space station earlier this week aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. But despite Foale's confidence in the safety of the space station some NASA officials say they still have serious concerns about the health and well being of its occupants. The last air quality sample from the space station was taken in December, 2002; the last water sample in April. Replacements either don't exist or are so bulky they can only be delivered by NASA's shuttle fleet which remains grounded after the loss of Columbia in February this year. Exercise equipmentWithout the shuttle the space station relies entirely on Russian spacecraft to deliver supplies and crews to and from the Earth. Worried about safety implications two NASA officials responsible for health and environmental conditions on board the station refused to sign off on the launch of the station's next crew. "We did have a recommendation that said we don't think we are go to fly," Engineer Bill Langdoc told CNN. Langdoc was among the environmental experts who last month presented a written dissent to space station chief Bill Gerstenmeier. Aside from concerns over the water and air quality monitors, the officials also said they were worried about worn out exercise equipment vital to the astronaut's well being. The equipment is needed to help astronauts maintain healthy bones and muscles during extended periods in zero gravity. NASA officials say they hope to get new exercise machines up to the station aboard the next Russian cargo vessel. They also say samples of air and water for analysis on Earth will be brought back by the returning crew when they depart the space station at the weekend.
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