A power failure at NASA ’s Johnson Space Center in Houston conduct to a loss of communication with the International Space Station ( ISS ) yesterday . The space means had to use Russian communicating system to tell the spaceman what had happened , indicating the want for other redundancy if the ISS becomes a little less international , ashas been harbinger .
Itwas saidthat Michael Collins was the most isolated person in human history as the Moon block his communication television channel with Earth while Armstrong and Aldrin made their celebrated walk of life . The experience was retell for each subsequent Apollo missionary post , 13 excepted . The astronauts on the ISS did n’t reach quite that level of disconnection before communication was rejuvenate – not only did the full receiving set silence last for only twenty minutes , rather than double rounds of 48 minutes , but the seven astronauts aboard had each other .
Nevertheless , the experience reminds us that even in low Earth eye socket , half a day ’s thrust from the multitude you are flying over if cars could go straight up , it ’s potential to lose touch with the residue of humanity . Millions of people would have see the ISS elapse overhead during this stop , but the only ones who could send a message are those who planned tosever their connectionto the station next twelvemonth , although the timing isnow unreadable .
NASA is adamant the interruption stupefy no peril to the station or its crowd . The Guardianquotes ISS program Manger Joel Montalbano as saying;“It was n’t an issue on gameboard . That was purely a earth job . At no time was the crew or the vehicle in any danger . ”
verbatim communication between Houston and the station was rejuvenate within 90 minutes using backup system .
In one gumption it ’s surprising something like this has n’t find antecedently in the clock time since the station launched in 1998 . After all , Houston has confront someextreme weather eventsin that metre , and system have continued to operate .
contemplate the time value NASA localise on its cosmonaut ’ living , an intact backup control meat has been constructed outside Houston , but it was not activated this time .
“ We ’ll better understand what happened and then take moral find out and move onward , ” Montalbanosaid .
NASA surely does n’t want to make a crowing thing of the event . The ISS ’s social media write up do n’t mention it , nor does the independent @NASA account . Only the last paragraph of the daily update on the ISS web log refers to it , adding ; “ It is expected that by the end of the day the issue will be resolved and the system will be back into a normal configuration . ”
