A newly arrived Russian science lab briefly knocked the
For 47 minutes, the space station lost control of its orientation when the firing occurred a few hours after docking, pushing the orbiting complex from its normal configuration. The station's position is key for getting power from solar panels and or communications. Communications with ground controllers also blipped out twice for a few minutes.
Flight controllers regained control using thrusters on other Russian components at the station to right the ship, and it is now stable and safe,
“We haven’t noticed any damage,” space station program manager
Montalbano said the crew didn’t really feel any movement or any shaking.
NASA’s human spaceflight chief
The incident caused
The launch of Nauka, which will provide more room for scientific experiments and space for the crew, had been repeatedly delayed because of technical problems. It was initially scheduled to go up in 2007.
In 2013, experts found contamination in its fuel system, resulting in a long and costly replacement. Other Nauka systems also underwent modernization or repairs.
Stretching 43 feet (13 meters) long, Nauka became the first new compartment for the Russian segment of the outpost since 2010. On Monday, one of the older Russian units, the Pirs spacewalking compartment, undocked from the station to free up room for the new lab.
Nauka will require many maneuvers, including up to 11 spacewalks beginning in early September, to prepare it for operation.
The space station is currently operated by
In 1998,
Russian space officials downplayed the incident with
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