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When an unmanned progress resupply ship docked with the ailing Mir space station last week, astronaut Michael Foale had good reason to smile. Among the two tons of equipment hauled up for a risky orbital repair that his two Russian companions are slated to attempt later this week were replacements for his lost toothbrush, shaving kit and sneakers. Freshly groomed and shod, Foale was nothing if not upbeat when he talked to NASA boss Daniel Goldin, himself under heat for allowing Americans to continue working aboard the 11-year-old Mir. "The safety concerns, I think, are well met," said...
Waiting For Reinforcements MOSCOW: Hope nobody up there has claustrophobia. Russian officials now say vital repairs will be postponed, probably until a fresh crew arrives at Mir next month. But that mission's up in the air too now that the French have gotten cold feet about sending one of their own to the ramshackle space station. The Russians are worried about more than their image problem: if the French pull out, they'll be taking the money they were going to pay the Russians to conduct experiments aboard Mir. For the moment, things have settled down in orbit. With...
MOSCOW: In a nearly catastrophic accident, Mir spun wildly out of control today after a crew member accidentally disconnected a vital cable, sending the crew scurrying into the Soyuz escape capsule just in case. The blunder, which cut all power to the station's electricity, orientation, life support and communications systems, occurred while the crew was preparing to fix the station's power system, which was damaged after Mir collided with a cargo ship in June. Once the plug was pulled, the station began to spin chaotically, turning away from the sun and draining its already low energy supply. Crew...
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.: As Mir tumbled through space, the shuttle Columbia and its crew of seven was touching down at sunrise at Cape Canaveral. "We got all the science, plus more, that we were anticipating," said Commander James Halsell Jr., describing the armloads of experimental data (as well as space-grown spinach and clover) that his crew produced. "It was great to be up there and it's great to be home." Shuttle program manager Tommy Holloway added that after just an 84-day turnaround from its last, aborted mission, the revamped Columbia performed "in an absolutely exemplary manner...
...practice run" was a bit presumptuous. "He can do some basic things," she said, "but no official simulations or the actual spacewalk ? none of that's been approved by NASA yet." The twice-delayed repairs are now scheduled to begin July 24, less than two weeks before the Mir's replacement crew, composed of two Russians and a Frenchman, is slated to launch on August 5. Foale, whom the Russians have suggested is not only able but very willing to help, may have convinced his cautious superiors on Earth to give him a little space...