Posted: Thu, Apr 20, 2006, 3:01 PM ET (1901 GMT)
A planned reboost maneuver using engines on the International Space Station was aborted Wednesday when one of the two engines failed to fire, but the failed maneuver will not adversely affect the station. Station controllers planned to fire two thrusters on the Zvezda module for 14 seconds on Wednesday afternoon to raise the station's orbit by 400-700 meters. However, a stuck valve in one of the engines prevented it from starting up, and the maneuver was aborted. The reboost was primarily a test of the thrusters, which have been unused for nearly six years. Reboosts are typically done by either a Progress spacecraft or a shuttle orbiter. The failed reboost will not affect the next launch of a Progress cargo spacecraft, scheduled for April 24.

Related Links:

•  SPACE.com article
•  RIA Novosti article