Russia concerned over shuttle delays

Russia: Frequent delays in launching of United States space shuttles because it alters flight and connecting program of Russian Progress vessels, explained a specialized source.

Vladimir Soloviov, in charge of the Russian International Space Station (RISS) expressed this concern by minimizing the importance of a damage report of the US system of carbon gas emission in the orbital complex.

This defect required substitution of a US made component by one of Russian manufacture, occurred three days ago and should not be dramatized, added the expert. Soloviev explained that it is connected to the Russian and US reserve system that functions semi automatically.

Shortly before, the Russian Progress M-67 had linked onto the RISS with 2.5 tons of cargo for its six crew members, according to reports of the Space Flight Control Center (SFCC).

Coupling should have occurred through an automatic system but when the cargo was 300 meters from RISS astronauts on board the complex received the order to control it manually. Consequently it coupled with manual assistance.

Vitali Lapota, head of the Russian Space Rocket Corporation informed that the automatic operation was not possible due to problems in the functioning of telemetric systems that occurred in the last phase of the Progress M-67 orbit.

The rocket cargo carrying scientific equipment, water, oxygen, food and fuel was launched on July 24 from the Baikonur space station in Kazakhstan with a Soyuz missile boost to increase the RISS orbit.

Two Russian astronauts, Guennady Padalka and Roman Romanenko, and US astronaut, Mike Baratt, and Belgian Frank De Winne, Canadian Robert Thirsk and Japanese Koichi Wakata will remain in the orbiting complex. Moscow, Prensa Latina