The NASA Advisory Council has backed the recent Young Committee report on the International Space Station (ISS) budget overruns, saying they "cannot be excused and must not be ignored". The project's potential is being undermined by a loss of confidence in the agency's management abilities, the council adds.
It says NASA must not exceed its ISS budget for at least two years during which the station will continue to be crewed by three people. However, it recommends larger crews, and a modest budget tore-start the cancelled Habitation Module programme and continued support for eventual operation of a Crew Return Vehicle. Russia's Rosaviakosmos says that the ISS inter-governmental agreements are "deteriorating seriously" and should be re-thought, adding it could launch a European space station as an alternative.
Meanwhile, NASA is planning 15 EVAs from the Space Shuttle and seven from the ISS this year compared with a total of 18 in 2001. Five will be made by the crew of the first Space Shuttle to be launched this year, on the fourth Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission late next month. The crew plan to reactivate an infrared instrument, install an advanced camera, new solar arrays, a power controller and reaction control system gyro. STS 110/Atlantis, which will carry three truss segments to the ISS, has been delayed until 4 April after problems with pods on the Orbital Manoeuvring System. STS 111/Endeavour in May will deliver expedition crew five, return crew four and add further components to the Canadian Space Station Remote Manipulator System. Columbia will follow in July on a science mission. The first starboard side truss segment will be attached to the ISS during the STS 112 Atlantis mission in late August, followed by the delivery of expedition crew six and the return of the fifth crew in late September on Endeavour, which will also add a port side truss segments.
Source: Flight International
