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Mir repair may involve 'internal spacewalk'
Russian officials considering options
Latest developments:
June 26, 1997
Web posted at: 4:20 p.m. EDT (2020 GMT)(CNN) -- Following the worst orbital collision ever, the Russian Space Agency said Thursday it is considering options for repairing the 11-year-old Mir space station: either a spacewalk outside the craft, or an "internal spacewalk" to repair the damaged module from within.
A L S O : Debate brews: Should Mir project continue?
In an internal spacewalk, astronauts would put on their spacesuits and enter the depressurized, leaking section of Mir.
Two Russian cosmonauts and one U.S. astronaut are on board Mir, which lost power and was punctured in a Wednesday collision with an unmanned supply ship.
Spacewalk could be in two weeks
CNN Correspondent John Holliman said an internal spacewalk to repair the damage could happen in about two weeks. Only sketchy plans were available, and the repair would require parts that haven't even been made yet, much less shipped out to the space station, Holliman reported.
Sergei Krikalov, former cosmonaut and Deputy Director of Russian Mission Control, told reporters that the Russian Space Agency doesn't know whether the damage can be repaired, but said a space walk within the Mir space station seems the safest option.
Animation of collision (QuickTime movie)
2.7 MB/43 sec./160x120
animation by Analytical Graphics.The Russians say they are also putting serious and urgent thought into what supplies and repair equipment they might be able to send up to Mir on a supply vessel being launched in about 10 days.
Before the accident, the cargo ship had been scheduled to be launched on Friday. But the launch was postponed for at least 10 days in order to load it with repair materials. Russian space officials want to send up power cables to repair solar batteries on the damaged portion of the station.
Evacuation plan scrubbed for now
See video of the
damage to Mir
Earlier Thursday, the Russian Space Agency said it was also considering evacuating all members of the crew. Exercising that option would effectively mean that the Russians could not return to the craft.
A constant crew presence is required on Mir, partly because no ship can dock with Mir unless someone is on board to coordinate the docking, and partly because the station is being kept in orbit manually while its automatic guidance systems are inoperative.
Without crew members aboard, Mir's orbit would quickly deteriorate, and the station would eventually fall toward Earth. Mir has an attached Soyuz capsule that can bring the astronauts home in an emergency.
But Russian Space Agency's director Yuri Kopchev later told CNN that abandoning Mir is not be considered for now.
Mir remains low on power
Mir collided Wednesday with an unmanned Progress supply ship, as the crew practiced docking with the ship by remote control. Commander Vasily Tsibliyev could not slow down the bus-sized ship, and it slammed into Mir's laboratory module, Spektr -- one of the aging space station's six modules.
The crash knocked out about half the power to the craft, puncturing one of the laboratory module's solar panels, and knocking the ship off the ideal angle for the remaining solar panels to absorb energy from the sun, said Frank Culbertson, director of NASA's shuttle-Mir program.
Mir-Shuttle Program Manager Frank Culbertson: Current situation
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The crew
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The science program
(896K/39 sec. AIFF or WAV sound)Thursday morning, the crew used precious fuel to fire thrusters to turn the station so its solar batteries could recharge, said Vera Medvedkova, a spokeswoman for Russian Mission Control.
Although Mir crew members are apparently in no immediate danger, they continue to desperately try to conserve power.
Officials described the situation aboard Mir as "serious but stable." Air conditioning has been turned off, and the station is at about 90 degrees Fahrenheit and humid. The station's climate should improve Friday, when the carbon dioxide scrubber is turned back on.
- Message Board: Mir collision
- CNN In-Depth: Space
Related stories:
- Mir -- repair it or abandon it? - June 26, 1997
- Crippled Mir turns to sun for needed solar energy - June 26, 1997
- Mir has 3-man 'lifeboat' ready - June 25, 1997
- Mir's woes raise doubts about U.S.-Russian cooperation - June 25, 1997
- Mir at half power after collision - June 25, 1997
- No plans to abandon Mir - June 25, 1997
- Russian supply ship collides with space station Mir - June 25, 1997
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- NASA Shuttle-Mir Web - information about the Mir Space station is provided by NASA
- Spektr - section of the space station that was hit
- MIR Space Station - Radio Transmit Info - includes information about how to transmit and receive communications with MIR through amateur radio
- ISS Phase I - Space Station Mir - contains graphics and specifications of the diferent areas of MIR
- Russian Space Agency - homepage of the Russian Space Agency through the NASA site
- Pictures and Movies - contains pictures of MIR and MIR missions as released by the Russian Space Agency
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