Could computers take down the space station?

Stan Beer
Thursday, 14 June 2007 17:20

Science - Space

When a project boss starts talking about a worst case scenario, it's hard not to get the feeling that you're being prepared for the worst. Thus, when International Space Station program manager Mike Suffredini told a media conference yesterday that a computer failure could force the crew off the space station, the situation does not appear good.

Basically the Russian computers which control the navigation of the space station so that it stays in the correct orbit have all failed and so far can't be rebooted. Why all the computers have failed, why there is not sufficient built-in redundancy and why efforts to fix them have so far not succeeded is unclear.

What is clear, however, is that the space station can't operate without the Russian computers because not only do they keep the station in its correct orbit, they also control life support systems. In addition, incredible as it seems, other computer systems on the space station are also reportedly dependant on the failed computers in order to perform their operations.

What is also clear is that there is now a race against time to fix the failed computers before the space station crew have to jump ship and return to Earth. Visiting space shuttle Atlantis is currently keeping the space station in its correct orbit, through periodic firing of its thrusters. However, Atlantis will have to leave for its return trip to Earth within a few days.

If there is no functioning computer on the space station when it's time for Atlantis to leave, it is hard to see what options other than returning to Earth are available to the space station crew.

Thus, we have a situation where the computer systems aboard the space station have been exposed to have insufficient built-in redundancy, with the possible result that a project which by some estimates has already cost more than US$100 billion could simply drift off course and become worthless floating space junk.

If the space station project managers manage to reboot the malfunctioning computers, it is to be hoped that additional failsafe mechanisms are added to prevent possibly the most expensive project in human history going down the drain because of a computer glitch.