Earlier Update
Houston - Nov 28, 2001
Previously Wednesday afternoon, ISS resumed its normal orientation control about three hours later than planned this afternoon to allow Russian flight controllers time to evaluate a potential technical problem seen following the docking of a Progress resupply craft today.

During this time the station remained in free drift, with attitude control turned off, the normal mode for a Progress docking. The station's orientation control system would normally have been turned back on only a few minutes after the docking, once Russian flight controllers had received indications that hooks that hard dock the supply craft to the station had closed and latched. Mission Control, Korolev, did not see the expected indication after the Progress docked to the complex at 1:43 p.m. CST.

The station remained in free drift, with steering systems off line, until about 5 p.m. CST, when Russian flight controllers determined the Progress was attached securely enough to allow the station's steering system to operate normally.

While the station was in free drift, power generation was reduced and some non-critical items onboard were powered off temporarily to conserve electricity. Heaters that control condensation on the shell of the Destiny lab, Unity node and pressurized mating adapters on the station were turned off for a few hours as were a backup cabin air assembly and a contaminant monitor in the Quest airlock.

Once the station returned to its normal orientation, all equipment temporarily powered off was powered back on with no impact to station operations.

Russian flight controllers are continuing to evaluate the problem seen following the Progress docking. Indications are that hooks that normally constitute the second stage of the Progress' attachment to the station had not closed and latched as expected.

An evaluation of the situation will continue tonight and troubleshooting aboard the station may be performed Thursday morning when the complex next moves within range of Russian ground tracking sites.

Meanwhile, at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, all activities are proceeding as planned toward the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour at 6:41 p.m. CST Thursday on shuttle mission STS-108, which will ferry a fourth crew to the station.

However, NASA flight regulations require that the Progress supply ship be fully hard docked to the Station before a shuttle can dock. This is because the space shuttle exerts considerable inertia to the station during docking and this may dislodge a module or spaceship not firmly docked.

The next milestone in Endeavour's preparations will be a decision to begin fueling the shuttle for launch, expected at about 9:15 a.m. CST Thursday.

As stated above, today's launch has been scrubbed. More details to follow.

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