Atlantis Speeds Toward Mir on Repair Mission

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Space shuttle Atlantis sped toward Russia’s orbiting Mir station Thursday to deliver urgently needed repair equipment and a fresh American astronaut to replace one who has been aboard through numerous breakdowns and a fire.

Atlantis is expected to reach Mir late today for the sixth, and perhaps the most important, docking with the space station. Although the situation aboard the 11-year-old station has improved in the last few weeks, it is still serious because Mir’s life-support systems lack functioning spare equipment.

Atlantis is bringing a new oxygen generator to replace one that broke, patches for cooling-system leaks, detectors for toxic fumes from failing equipment and a valve for a backup carbon dioxide-removal unit that has yet to be built.

Also aboard the shuttle is astronaut Michael Foale, who will replace Jerry Linenger. Linenger is thrilled at the chance to leave; the 42-year-old doctor wants to be home before the birth of his second child next month.

Foale, a 40-year-old astrophysicist with U.S. and British citizenship, will spend 4 1/2 months on Mir, much of it fixing and maintaining the station. The latest plan calls for the new generator to be installed and possibly tested during the five days Atlantis and Mir are linked.

If all goes well, Atlantis will undock Wednesday and return to Earth on May 24.

Meanwhile on Thursday, NASA’s program manager said the agency is giving Russia a second chance to supply a key part of the international space station, despite already costly delays.

Construction will begin in June 1998, seven months late but with full Russian support as originally planned, Randy Brinkley said.

Members of Congress had argued for a reduced Russian role after that country’s inability to come up with the money for a crucial module.

The revised schedule was approved Wednesday after the Russians gave assurances that they would come through with the money and complete their share of the work on schedule.