|
| S P E C I A L | Mir: Mission off Course |
Spacesuit problem forces NASA to change Mir astronauts
July 31, 1997
Web posted at: 9:40 a.m. EDT (1340 GMT)WASHINGTON (CNN) -- NASA has decided that Dr. Dave Wolf, and not Wendy Lawrence, will replace U.S. astronaut Michael Foale aboard the Russian space station Mir in September.
Lawrence, who had been scheduled to replace Foale, couldn't get a good fit into the Russian spacesuits she would have to wear if her help was needed to make repairs to the ailing space station.
"The change will enable Wolf to act as a backup crew member for spacewalks planned over the next several months to repair the damaged Spektr module on the Russian outpost," a NASA press statement said.
NASA went on to say that neither Lawrence nor Wolf had undergone spacewalk training procedures while preparing for the Mir mission. NASA and Russian space officials have decided that all three occupants of the next Mir crew need to be qualified in spacewalk proceedures.
Because Wolf would need to be fully qualified as a spacewalker, NASA said it is possible the scheduled launch of space shuttle Atlantis on September 18 may be delayed by 10 days so Wolf and Lawrence can complete their training.
Wolf had been scheduled to go to Mir next January as the prime crew member for the last U.S. long-duration mission on Mir.
NASA said Lawrence will continue to train as a backup for the September shuttle mission to Mir.
NASA has not decided whether Lawrence would go to Mir on a future mission.
Culbertson will be speaking from the Russian space facility, where he is currently meeting with Russian officials working to solve Mir's many problems. Culbertson will conduct the news conference via NASA TV and will take reporters' questions from NASA domestic facilities via two-way hookup.
Related stories:
- Cosmonaut: Mir crash could have been deadly - July 30, 1997
- Mir crew prepares to return to Earth - July 22, 1997
- New crew to carry out Mir repairs - July 21, 1997
- Mir commander to undergo heart tests - July 20, 1997
- Fresh crew may step in for Mir spacewalk - July 18, 1997
- Mir loses all power after accident - July 17, 1997
- Life in space not so bad, says U.S. astronaut aboard Mir - February 10, 1997
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- American Society for Gravitational and Space Biology
- Russian Space Science Internet
- Russian Space Research Insstitute (IKI)
- NASA Shuttle-Mir Web
- Keith's MIR Page
- ISS Phase I - Space Station Mir
- Russian Space Agency
- MIR Space Station - Maximov Online
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
Watch these shows on CNN for more sci-tech stories:
CNN Computer Connection | Future Watch | Science & Technology Week
Sound off on our message boards
Tell us what you think!
You said it...
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.