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Space station's oxygen generator back in action BY WILLIAM HARWOOD STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION Posted: January 6, 2005 The space station's Elektron oxygen generator is back in operation this morning after troubleshooting by the lab's two-man crew. The Elektron was re-activated at 7:13 a.m. EST (1213 GMT), according to NASA officials. The unit shut down New Year's Day because of air bubbles in the lines. Initial attempts by Expedition 10 commander Leroy Chiao and flight engineer Salizhan Sharipov to make repairs were unsuccessful. But Russian engineers, acting on the assumption the Elektron's liquid unit, known as No. 5, had run low on its supply of electrolytes, told the crew to hook up a backup liquid unit, No. 7, and to infuse fresh electrolytes into No. 5. The procedure appeared to work and the Elektron was re-activated without incident, easing concerns about an eventual shortage. Without the Elektron, the crew had a 57-day supply of oxygen from tanks aboard a Progress supply ship and from so-called "candles" that produce oxygen as a by-product of combustion. Russian engineers will carefully monitor the Elektron's performance to confirm it is, in fact, back in proper operation. |
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