Washington, 1 sep (EFE).-U.S. astronauts Mike Fossum and Ron Garan assured today rely on the Russian experience to determine the failure that caused the loss of a freighter Russian supplies in time to avoid that the international space station (ISS) is uninhabited.
“I don’t think that this is a problem which is going to last a long time,” said Fossum in an interview from the ISS, NASA Internet television channel broadcast
“The Russians have much experience with this type of rocket,” said Fossum, which showed calm despite the fact that does not fix the problem, returning to Earth, along with the Russian Sergei Volkov and Japanese Satoshi Furukawa, would mean closing the hatch of the ISS and leaving it unmanned.
Would be something temporary, as it has reiterated in successive press conferences after the accident the head of NASA, Mike Suffredini, ISS programme but it is a situation that can occur.
The past August 24 crashed a space freighter unmanned Progress, shortly after its launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome of failure in the booster rocket, Soyuz – u.
Was the first time that happened an accident of this kind in 30 years working in the service of the Russian space agency, but his loss has forced to temporarily suspend all missions manned or not until that will determine the reason for the failure.
The problem is that the Soyuz manned spacecraft used a very similar rocket and the Russian space agency wants to make sure that it has guarantees for flights that will be replaced the current crew of the ISS.
Time, the three crewmen who planned to return to Earth on 8 September, the Russians Andrey Borisenko and Alexander Samokutyaev and Ron Garan, American will have to wait two weeks until the next opportunity to be able to land day in the steppes of Kazakhstan.
Not be possible then, the next opportunity would occur on 27 October, ten days after the six established months of orbital life of the Soyuz spacecraft that must again.
The international space station has attached two spacecraft Soyuz, accommodating up to three astronauts, who in addition to the crew in relief missions carrying remain as “lifeline” to any emergency.
The return of the second group is scheduled for November 16 but this not be might postpone much more because of delay, in addition to exceed six months of security, the calendar of opportunities would enter in December, with the weather difficulties that would entail.
Between the two missions of return was in the calendar launch September 22, another ship Russian with the three crew of replacement of the first group but has been delayed several weeks.
American astronauts emphasized the scientific work of the ISS during its more than ten years of life and ensured that form part of his crew is a “dream fulfilled”.
Garan pointed out that in this decade was carried out more than 360 experiments from tests with materials, fluids, robonáutica, with the human body, as well as security and energy clean.
Astronaut also had a memory for the shuttles, NASA withdrew from operation last July after over 30 years.
Fossum and Garan conducted the only space walk planned in the Atlantis STS-135, the final mission, mission said was a somewhat “Bittersweet” feeling, with the pride of having participated in it but with the sadness that just program.
Television picture taken from NASA TV and provided that shows the astronauts Mike Fossum (d) and his partner Ron Garan (i). EFE/file
