New oxygen problems on Mir 

But NASA says crew not in danger

April 4, 1997
Web posted at: 2:56 p.m. EST (1956 GMT) 

 KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida
(CNN) -- The crew on board the Mir space station has been forced to shut down the primary carbon dioxide scrubbing system
because it was getting warm, NASA officials said. 

The system is used to clean excess carbon
dioxide from the air in the station's cabin. The
Russian cosmonauts and U.S. astronaut Jerry
Linenger on Thursday began using a backup
carbon dioxide scrubbing system, which uses lithium-hydroxide canisters. 

NASA officials say the Mir crew is in no danger. 

NASA officials in Houston say the shutdown of the primary system was a direct
result of the ongoing repairs to the Mir's primary cooling system. The crew hopes to
complete its cooling system repairs by the end of the week, and turn the carbon
dioxide scrubbing system back on when the work is done. 
If its work cannot be finished by this weekend, it will keep the secondary carbon
dioxide scrubbing system online. The crew has an eight-day supply of lithium
hydroxide canisters, and the resupply ship Progress, scheduled for launch from
Russia on Sunday, will bring more. 

Progress is also scheduled to bring up parts to fix the main oxygen generators. And
NASA is considering carrying up a spare oxygen generator aboard space shuttle
Atlantis during its mission next month to pick up Linenger. 

As Mir has aged over its 11 years in orbit, it has experienced more malfunctions. In
February, a fire broke out aboard Mir and burned for 90 seconds, filling the station
with smoke and forcing the crew to wear oxygen masks. It was one of the worst
fires ever in space. 

Correspondent John Zarrella contributed to this report.