spacetoday.net: ISS computers restored, robotic arm handoff completed

Posted: Sat, Apr 28, 2001, 11:40 PM ET (0340 GMT)
STS-100 robotic arms maneuver (NASA)

The crews of the space shuttle Endeavour and the International Space Station were able to complete partial repairs to the station's computer systems and complete the handover of a cargo pallet Saturday, clearing the way for a shuttle undocking Sunday. Astronauts, working with ground controllers, were able to get two of the three command and control computers that failed earlier this week working Saturday, although additional work is needed to put the computers into a "stable configuration", according to NASA. The third computer suffered a hard drive failure and will likely be offline until a Russian Progress spacecraft brings up replacement parts in May. With two computers working, the station and shuttle crews were able to complete the long-delayed handover of a Spacelab cargo pallet from the station's new Candarm2 robotic arm to Endeavour's arm, which then stowed the pallet in the shuttle's cargo bay. That handover was considered the most difficult robotic maneuver ever attempted in orbit. With those tasks complete, the shuttle is ready to undock from the station tomorrow, although NASA has deferred a decision on the undocking until late Saturday or early Sunday, depending on the status of the station's computers. If NASA does go ahead with the undocking, Endeavour will separate at 1:34 pm EDT (1734 GMT). A Sunday undocking would also allow the Russian Soyuz spacecraft launched Saturday, carrying two Russian cosmonauts and space tourist Dennis Tito, to dock with the station as scheduled early Monday.