spacetoday.net: Report criticizes ISS records, inspections

Posted: Sat, Feb 28, 2004, 1:36 PM ET (1836 GMT)
ISS illustration (NASA)

A NASA report released Friday identified a number of problems with the International Space Station program, from poorly-kept records to an inability to inspect the entire station, although NASA officials said that the problems are being rectified and don't pose a safety risk. The report, dated January 30 but released to the public on Friday, was drafted by NASA in an effort to apply some of the lessons and recommendations from the Columbia Accident Investigation Board to the station program. The report noted that the station does not have a complete set of blueprints and other diagrams, and also doesn't have an up-to-date database of station information that would be needed in the event of problems on the facility. The report also concluded that NASA needs to make additional efforts to survey the exterior of the station for damage, since existing cameras on the station cannot see all portions of it. NASA officials said that they would add extra cameras on future segments of the station to resolve that issue, and added that they have extended a memorandum of understanding with the military to permit imaging of the station by ground- and space-based cameras if needed.