Glad to see NASA making use of America's other space assets, as they did not during the Columbia disaster. Also good as of now that the Russians are our partners, but worrisome that we are so dependent on them. No successor to the space shuttle is in sight, so this hobbled capability will continue for years.
NASA has enlisted U.S. spy satellites and taken other measures to inspect the exterior of the international space station for signs of any damage that might explain a strange metallic crunching noise that was heard by the two astronauts on board in the middle of the night of Nov. 26.Posted by Alan at December 6, 2003 07:39 AMNASA has also shifted steering control of the orbiting laboratory to Russian-built thrusters while engineers study a new problem in the ailing U.S.-built gyroscope system, spaceflight officials said yesterday.
The station has a system of four gyroscopes to control its motion and can operate with as few as two. One failed last year, but NASA has been unable to carry up a replacement or return the failed unit for analysis to determine the nature of the problem and whether it affects the three other gyros.
via the Washington Post
NASA - International Space Station