Steering problem forces early end to Mir spacewalk

April 6, 1998
Web posted at: 6:28 p.m. EDT (2228 GMT)

MOSCOW (CNN) -- Two cosmonauts working to repair the Russian space station Mir had to end their spacewalk about an hour early Monday after a steering thruster ran out of fuel.

Cosmonauts Talgat Musabayev and Nikolai Budarin were able to complete the primary aim of the spacewalk -- bracing a damaged solar array on Mir's Specktr module.

But a thruster jet used to point Mir toward the sun ran out of fuel during the spacewalk, and the cosmonauts were ordered to return to Mir to switch on a replacement engine.

See the spacewalk
	1.0MB/19 sec./240x180 605K/19 sec./160x120 QuickTime movie

Mission Control chief Vladimir Solovyov said controllers were expecting the fuel to run out, but not so soon.

The spacewalk lasted four hours and 15 minutes instead of a planned 5 1/2 hours.

Also plaguing the spacewalk: Communications between the cosmonauts and Mission Control were limited by satellite problems that forced the use of transmitters on Earth. Use of the ground transmitters shortened the length of time conversations could last.

The solar panel repaired by the cosmonauts was damaged in a collision with a cargo ship last year. Cosmonauts were unsuccessful in two previous repair attempts.

The damaged solar panel

On the first try last month, Musabayev and Budarin couldn't open Mir's exit hatch and had to call off the spacewalk.

Last Wednesday, they got the door open but needed more time than expected to set up support equipment. They ran low on oxygen and had to return to the station after almost seven hours.

The crew plans three more spacewalks this month -- on April 11, 17 and 22 -- to repair the station's exterior.

The third man on Mir, NASA astronaut Andrew Thomas, is remaining inside the station during this month's spacewalks, filming his colleagues' progress.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• Shuttle-Mir: an experiment in science and politics - April 2, 1998
• Mir spacewalk finished, but repairs aren't - April 1, 1998
• New Mir troubles: overworked crew, sweltering heat - March 19, 1998
• Supply ship carrying needed tools docks with Mir - March 16, 1998

Related sites:

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• NASA Shuttle-Mir Web
• ISS Phase I - Space Station Mir
• Mir Status Report
• Mir Space Station
• How to See Mir in Space
• SpaceViews: Mir Interactive Display

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.

· MIR MAIN PAGE · RELATED SITES · HISTORY · TIMELINE

· GALLERY · SOYUZ · CREW · REPAIR MISSION

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