Word: astronautical
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MOSCOW: The Russian space agency's plans to repair the crippled space station Mir have been postponed because of commander Vasily Tsibliyev's heart condition. As a replacement, Russian officials may ask NASA to allow American astronaut Michael Foale to take part in the repairs, a move sure to attract fire from Congress, which has become increasingly critical of the joint U.S.-Russian program over the past several weeks. TIME's Andrew Meier reports that the Russian decision to cancel the spacewalk was made to give Tsibliyev a much needed day off after a series of harrowing incidents...
...sleeping quarters, forcing the crew to seal off that portion of the station. Damage to the solar panels cost Mir half its power, leading to a shipwide brownout, and the station itself was thrown into a sickening spin. At week's end Tsibliyev, fellow cosmonaut Alexander Lazutkin and astronaut Mike Foale were reduced to pitching camp in the dimly lighted areas of the station that still work, as failing systems caused heat and humidity to soar and Mir itself to list and drift. "It's as critical as it can get," said astronaut Jerry Linenger, who recently completed a four...
...crippled space station. Cosmonauts needed the supplies for the repair work they'll do during a spacewalk July 17, when they will reconnect power lines with the station's damaged Spektr module. Also delivered today: the world's worst airline food, some oxygen, fuel and a toothbrush for American astronaut Michael Foale...
...American astronaut Jerry Linenger was under no illusion that he was flying the world's most reliable spacecraft. He was nonetheless startled not long ago when it suddenly burst into flame...
Last week Linenger and cosmonaut Vasili Tsibliyev took a successful and widely publicized space walk outside the station. This week NASA plans to fly astronaut Mike Foale up to Mir, bringing to five the number of Americans who will have been Russia's orbital guests. Despite these successes, some in Washington are wondering whether it's safe for any American to set foot aboard the rickety ship. Even if Mir survives, others are asking, what does the sorry state of the craft say about Russia's ability to participate in future projects with the U.S.--particularly the long-planned international...