{"id":11539,"date":"2021-08-02T18:05:56","date_gmt":"2021-08-02T10:05:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/in-battle-with-russian-lab-module-space-station-brought-a-knife-to-a-gun-fight\/"},"modified":"2021-08-02T18:05:56","modified_gmt":"2021-08-02T10:05:56","slug":"in-battle-with-russian-lab-module-space-station-brought-a-knife-to-a-gun-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/in-battle-with-russian-lab-module-space-station-brought-a-knife-to-a-gun-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"In battle with Russian lab module, space station \u2018brought a knife to a gun fight\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS & USED WITH PERMISSION<\/p>\n

\"\"
Russia\u2019s Nauka module, at left, docked with the International Space Station. Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Playing it safe, the seven-member crew of the International Space Station moved into the U.S. segment of the outpost Friday, closed hatches and window shutters and stood by while Russian flight controllers vented helium pressurization lines in the newly arrived Nauka lab module.<\/p>\n

Because of earlier problems with the module\u2019s propulsion system, the crew was taking no chances, but high-pressure helium in lines used to pressurize Nauka\u2019s propellants was safely vented overboard. Moments later, station cosmonauts Oleg Novitskiy and Pyotr Dubrov opened a final hatch and floated into the roomy new addition.<\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations for a successful venting,\u201d station commander Akihiko Hoshide radioed flight controllers in Houston and Moscow. \u201cWe\u2019ll stand down from the current posture.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 44,000-pound Nauka multi-purpose laboratory docked with the station\u2019s Russian Zvezda module Thursday. But a software error resulted in unexpected thruster firings three hours later, while the lab was out of contact with Russian flight controllers, that pushed the space station out of its normal orientation, or \u201cattitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

The unwanted motion prompted thrusters in the Zvezda module to fire in an attempt to counteract the push from Nauka\u2019s jets. Thrusters in a Progress cargo ship also joined in to provide more strength.<\/p>\n

NASA flight director Zeb Scoville later tweeted the result was a \u201cforce flight\u201d between Nauka and Zvezda\u2019s thrusters. Given the orientation of the modules and the relative strengths of the thrusters, \u201cthe ISS brought a knife to a gun fight.\u201d<\/p>\n