Mir Crew hits 'Restart'

The Mir computer is up and running again. But this isn't like booting up a Mac; the three-man crew still have to spend some time reacquainting it with each of the station's automated systems.

With the embattled space station's life support running on reserve power, first on that list will be the gyroscopic systems which keep Mir's solar panels correctly aligned with the sun and its batteries charging. And with tests on the newly-repaired computer draining power rapidly, Michael Foale and the two cosmonauts aboard are anxious to get those gyrodines clicking and whirring again. When full alignment is restored, the Russian arrivals can get to what they came to do: get out to the Spektr and reconnect the power lines that could make the Mir almost whole again. That spacewalk could now happen as early as Thursday.