Jan 4 1998
From The Space Library
The crew of the Mir space station replaced the malfunctioning computer block, which had failed on 2 January, and restarted the station's orientation system. This common type of malfunction, which had occurred seven times in 1997, did not create life-threatening conditions, but it did reduce the power supply to the space station, thereby crippling the gyroscope that oriented the station's solar panels. Using the Soyuz escape module engines to control its orientation, Mir turned off all nonessential systems, to conserve energy until the crew had completed the repair.
Steve Fossett's Solo Spirit balloon, carrying NASA's prototype Aerobot Science Payload, landed prematurely when it experienced equipment problems. NASA had been testing the Aerobot Science Payload prototype for use on balloons in outer space, to collect information from other planets' atmospheres. On this trip, Aerobot returned accurate data on position, balloon velocity, vertical wind velocity, temperature, and humidity, but experienced problems with a pressure sensor and a satellite communications link.
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