Snip from a NYT story by John Schwartz:
The Russian computers that help keep the International Space Station in orbit were largely out of commission for a second day, a glitch that could imperil the $100 billion space laboratory. NASA officials expressed confidence, however, that the problem could be resolved. “I fully expect us to be able to do this,” said Michael T. Suffredini , the manager of the station program.
The station depends on Russian and American computer systems to maintain the positioning of the station as it orbits the earth. The United States computer system runs the network of gyroscopes that provide stability, and the Russian system controls thrusters that correct the orientation of the station when the gyroscopes alone cannot do the job and that shift its position for operations like docking and avoiding debris.
Link. Image: NASA. “A nadir view of the Space Shuttle Atlantis was photographed by a member of the Expedition 15 crew aboard the International Space Station as the two spacecraft were nearing their much-anticipated link-up in Earth orbit. The 17.8 ton S3/S4 truss to be added next week to the station can be seen berthed in the payload bay of the shuttle.”