AfterTek

Last week the Russian computers on the International Space Station unexpectedly shutdown without any warning or reason. Tests were performed and it seems that they are up and running smoothly once more. If they stay this way then the space shuttle, Atlantis, will undock from the space station on Tuesday. If all goes well the shuttle will arrive on Earth on Thursday.

If the test hadn’t gone well, Atlantis would’ve had to stay longer to help keep the station pointed in the right direction. Russian rocket jets normally help with that job, but they were not available during the computer meltdown.

Mission Control in Moscow and Houston this morning commanded the space shuttle to give control of the station’s orientation to the Russian jets, under the command of the Russian computers. Then U.S. computers took control of the Russian jets. Finally, U.S. devices called gyroscopes took over, under control of the U.S. computers.

“All looking okay,” said NASA mission commentator Kylie Clem, just after the gryoscopes took control. The cause of the computer problems is still being investigated, but NASA engineers theorize that they were triggered by changes in the station’s electrical environment. That environment itself may have changed when Atlantis delivered a massive new girder to the station June 11.

Officials were to decide later Monday whether everything was working properly. During a computer meltdown last week, the shuttle’s thrusters were used to help the station maintain its position. The station’s thrusters haven’t been used since.

“That’s a big step in our checkout of the computers to make sure everything is working correctly,” flight director Holly Ridings told the Associated Press Monday. “It’s one of those things we want to see before we undock.” The computers, which also control oxygen production, crashed last week. All six of the computers’ processors were back online Saturday. The two processors that took longer to revive are now on standby mode and can be used if needed.

Except for an oxygen generator, all the space station systems that were powered down when the computers failed are now running. Also Monday, Atlantis’ crew finished packing the shuttle for its return trip to Earth. The shuttle and space station crews were set to say their goodbyes before hatches between Atlantis and the outpost are closed in preparation for Tuesday’s undocking. They were given some free time Monday morning to enjoy the view on their last full day in space.

U.S. astronaut Sunita Williams spent her last full day in space showing the ropes to her replacement at the space station, U.S. astronaut Clay Anderson. She thanked flight controllers on the ground for their work during her more than six months in space in which she set a record for the longest single spaceflight by a woman. “I’m sad to say goodbye but that means progress is being made and it’s time for the international space station to grow a little more,” said Williams, her voice cracking with emotion. “The (space station) will always be a part of me.”