Last week, I wrote about a problem with the launch of a Russian module to the International Space Station (ISS). They had engine/computer problems, but they managed to solve them and successfully rendezvoused with the ISS. Three hours after docking the new module suddenly fired its thrusters and sent the entire ISS spinning off course.
According to NASA, the mission flight director immediately declared a spaceflight emergency while engineers on the ground struggled to regain the stability of the ISS. Attitude control of the ISS was lost for forty-five minutes as ground based flight teams fired thrusters on another module of the ISS and on a separate cargo module that has previously docked at the station. These measures were necessary in order to restore proper alignment to the ISS. During that time, the ISS slowly tumbled end over end at a rate of about half a degree per second. This amounts to about four rotations per hour. Communication with the crew of the ISS was lost twice for several minutes.
Vladimir Solovyov is a designer general at the Russian space company Energia. He said, “Due to a short-term software failure, a direct command was mistakenly implemented to turn on the module's engines for withdrawal, which led to some modification of the orientation of the complex as a whole.”
“The crew is now busy balancing the pressure in the Nauka module. In the afternoon, the crew will open the hatches, enter the module, turn on the necessary means of purifying the atmosphere and begin normal regular work."
Dmitry Rogozin is the head of the Russian space agency Roscosmos. He was quoted on the Komsomolskaya Pravda website as saying, “Everything was going well but there was a human factor. There was some euphoria (after successful docking), everybody got relaxed.”
Once again, Roscosmos said that a software glitch was the cause of the unexpected thruster firing. Roscosmos does not seem to be particularly concerned and is sending out messages of reassurance that everything is fine at the ISS which is obviously not true.
Cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy tweeted early Friday morning, “Dear friends, I’m reading your numerous comments. Don’t worry! Our work at the International Space Station to integrate the newly arrived Nauka module continues! Tonight we are going to open the hatches. Will keep you posted!”
NASA did confirm that the crew of the ISS was safe shortly after they managed to stop the ISS from spinning and put it back on course. Experts are not convinced by the cheerful response of Roscosmos to the near disaster. They are not certain that things were as under control as the Russian space agency claimed.
Jonathan McDowell is a Harvard astronomer. He tweeted, “’The crew were never in any danger’… I’m not convinced they understand the issue well enough to be able to say that right now.
Regardless the actual situation, Roscosmos says that the Russian astronauts attended to the restoration of business as usual on the ISS which includes integrating the new Nauka module.