BBC News Online: Sci/Tech

New setback for Mir

A space robot was launched to film the outside of the ageing space station. But it was found after it had been deployed that its cameras were facing the wrong way.

The mission was abandoned when scientists said they were unable to adjust the orientation of the cameras.

The Russo-German designed robot was due to fly around Mir and send footage back to earth of the outside of the space station.

The main aim of the mission was to test the space robot as an alternative to space walks as a means of examining the outside of space stations.

As well as testing the robot's capacity to contribute to the future international space programme, Mission Control in Moscow had hoped it could discover what damage had been caused to Mir's Spektr module by the collision with a supply vessel in June.

Mir was badly damaged when a module collided with the space station during a practise docking, damaging a key solar panel and cutting electricity supplies by half.

The Mir crew resumed a normal programme of scientific experiments a month ago after two Russian cosmonauts went on a space walk to fixed a new solar panel.

Relevant Stories

Yeltsin aide set for new rise to fame as Mir trip confirmed (28 Nov 97 | World)
Mir computer crashes again (24 Nov 97 | World)
Mir space station computer breaks down again (24 Nov 97 | World)

Internet Links

MIR Russian Space Station News
Russian Space Agency
Nasa Office of Space Flight Mir site
Official Nasa Mir site

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