In this image provided by NASA the International Space Station is shown with the backdrop of Earth. The image was photographed by an STS-132 crew member on space shuttle Atlantis after the station and shuttle began their post-undocking relative separation on May 23, 2010. The astronauts aboard the International Space Station dimmed the lights, turned off unnecessary equipment and put off science work Thursday Dec. 12, 2013 as NASA scrambled to figure out what's wrong with one of two identical cooling loops that shut down Wednesday. (AP Photo/NASA)
December 16, 2013 - 8:07 AM
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Spacewalk or space delivery?
That's the question facing NASA as space station flight controllers try to revive a crippled cooling loop.
Half of the International Space Station's cooling system shut down Wednesday because of a bad valve. NASA is attempting to regulate the temperature of the disabled cooling line, with some success. The faulty valve had made that line too cold.
The two Americans on board may need to make spacewalking repairs, beginning Thursday. That's the same day an unmanned rocket is supposed to hoist a space station cargo ship from Virginia. NASA said Monday that it expects to decide Tuesday which should take priority — repairs or restocking.
Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Cygnus cargo ship has already been delayed a couple days because of the cooling problem in orbit.
News from © The Associated Press, 2013