Space Station Oxygen Generator Fails

A central Florida news station is reporting that the oxygen generator on the ISS has failed. Though NASA has stated that this won't be a problem, I wonder if they're playing it cool:

www.local6.com...

"The International Space Station's main oxygen generator has failed, forcing astronauts to use an emergency back-up air supply, according to Local 6 News.
"NASA officials said Russian Cosmonaut Salizhan Sharipov and crewmate Leroy Chiao are not in any immediate danger and engineers are confident that some backup procedures and in-flight repairs can keep the two astronauts breathing easy, Local 6 News reported Wednesday morning."

They still have the Escape Pod. So i doubt that they are in real danger. Isn't there a backup generator on board?

Originally posted by tsuribito
They still have the Escape Pod. So i doubt that they are in real danger. Isn't there a backup generator on board?

Yes, there's a backup generator on board, which is why nasa says it isn't worried. Still... considering how many breakdowns they've been having...

and, yeah, they can always escape in the soyuz capsule. But then you have to wonder if the station can ever be renovated and put back into service (would it be repairable after a few months of abandonment?). It would be a shame to see several billion dollars go down the drain.

Originally posted by onlyinmydreams
Still... considering how many breakdowns they've been having...

Well... I think these are nothing compared to Mir's problems... which managed to stay up there surprising long time.

onlyinmydreams
It would be a shame to see several billion dollars go down the drain.

yes & no.
If they left and we just let in burn up in the atmosphere, we could save a lot of money, retire the shuttle, and immediatly start putting money towards our moon, and we could have a base by 2015 instead of 2020.

It seems all I ever hear about is this broke/that broke, then they fix it, or jerry rig it to work again. and it seems the space suits keep falling apart as well. It seems that without the shuttle they only keep 2 people up there and they dont get much time to actually do experiments.

I'm getting to the point where I think what they should do to the hubble, they should also do with the ISS. Just let em die.

It's working again, thank goodness. The crew repaired it today:

news.yahoo.com.../wesh/20050106/lo_wkmg/2525926

Hey Byrd, did Huston tell them to use duct tape and card board? Couldnt help it. When I read this thread,that mission(I think it was an Apollo mission) was all I could think about.

Here's an idea for an oxygen generator that can never break down, only requires water and light, and some soil.

Why don't they put some plants up there? It can't be that hard to water 'em in zero-G's with a few pipes hooked to a resevoir and a pump.

Originally posted by a Hubble hater:
I'm getting to the point where I think what they should do to the hubble, they should also do with the ISS. Just let em die.

You think that they should let Hubble die? What did Hubble ever do to you?

diehard_democrat
You think that they should let Hubble die? What did Hubble ever do to you?

Got old and obsolete.