CAPE CANAVERAL -- The International Space Station is short on food, water and spare parts because the U.S. shuttles are grounded and Russian supply ships have not flown on schedule.
Adding to the problems: Important systems are broken or in frequent need of repair. Some can't be fixed without shuttle visits because new parts are too big to fit aboard Russian ships. Ground crews and station residents have been forced to come up with innovative techniques to repair gear and conserve fuel, water, clothing and other supplies.
"The longer we are operating without the shuttle, we get more bold out of necessity," said Kathy Laurini, a senior station project manager at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
Station partners cut the crew from three to two people after the Feb. 1, 2003, shuttle Columbia accident to conserve provisions while relying on the smaller Russian ships.
American space shuttles carry much more cargo than the Russian craft. And just one of three Progress supply ships scheduled to deliver goods between October and March made the trip. One delayed freighter arrived May 27 with 2.5 tons of water, food and gear.
Crews are subsisting mainly on canned perch, borscht and other Russian food to help save water. Most American space food is dehydrated.
The next supply ship is due July 30. If that freighter fails to reach the outpost, NASA and its partners will have to consider evacuating the station and delaying the planned October launch of a new two-man crew. Food and water would run out weeks before another Progress is due to arrive Nov. 28.
NASA managers said food and water estimates are conservative, and they have options for stretching supplies.
But they have grappled with other problems, too:
● The main oxygen generator shut down repeatedly this winter. Crewmates Michael Foale and Alexander Kaleri pumped breathable air into the station with Russian devices. The same devices had to be redesigned after sparking a fire on the Russian station Mir in 1997.
● Two of four U.S. gyroscopes that steer the station stopped working. If another fails, Russian thrusters and limited fuel would be used to control the outpost. The current crew is getting ready for a spacewalk this month to restore power to one of the failed gyroscopes.
● Sensors that detect poisons in air and drinking water do not work. Two NASA doctors objected to launching another crew to the station last October, saying they did not like waiting to get air and water samples back on Russian ships every few months.
NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe and space station project manager William Gerstenmaier said the situation is good practice for dealing with problems on moon or Mars missions. Those crews won't have the luxury of frequent supply flights.
advertisement
