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- MOSCOW (AP) -- An exotic space mirror expected to flash a beam of reflected
sunlight down to earth failed to unfold after repeated attempts by the
Mir space station's crew today, forcing the experiment to be called off
for the day.
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- The mirror was supposed to work like
a tiny, artificial moon, said Mission Control spokesman Valery Lyndin.
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- The experiment could also help develop
bigger mirrors that could be used to illuminate sun-starved cities or light
up emergency areas to ease rescuers' work. In the more distant future,
such devices may act as "solar sails," using solar wind to push
spaceships through space.
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- Mir cosmonauts Gennady Padalka and Sergey
Avdeyev started the experiment by jettisoning a Progress cargo ship, with
the mirror attached, from the station just after 5 a.m. EST.
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- Just over an hour later, they sent a
remote command to unfold the mirror, made of a thin membrane covered by
a metal layer. The segments of the round, silver flower-like structure
unfolded only partially, apparently snagging on the cargo ship's antenna.
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- "It just stopped, that's it,"
Padalka said as he looked out the window at the mirror.
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- Padalka and Avdeyev then quickly blasted
the ship's engines, jarring the mirror, and manipulated the antenna. The
mirror finally unfurled a bit more, but became stuck again, Lyndin said.
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- The experiment may be retried on Friday
if space experts come up with a solution to the problem overnight, he said.
So far the cause of the glitch was unclear, and if no breakthrough is made,
the Progress cargo ship and the mirror will be abandoned on Friday.
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- The mirror, 83 feet in diameter, was
supposed shine light on a spot about 5 miles in diameter in a number of
places, provided the sky is clear, said Lyndin.
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- News of the experiment triggered an avalanche
of dramatic reports, many of which described the mirror as a "second
moon" that would glare from the skies.
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- But officials connected with the experiment
said that was not the case.
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- "We have been tormented by the media
which simply went mad about that, spreading all kind of ridiculous rumors,"
spokeswoman Vera Medvedkova said.
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- The two cosmonauts were supposed to steer
the Progress to hold the spot of light steady for about 15 seconds in each
area of the experiment. Scientists said the mirror would appear to people
on the ground as only slightly brighter or larger than an ordinary star.
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- From space, the crew hopes to see a tiny
spot of light on the earth's surface and will try to film it through Mir's
windows.
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- The mirror's reflected sunlight was supposed
to be visible in the German city Bonn and the Czech city Plzen tonight,
weather permitting.
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- Vanadis Weber, spokeswoman for German
Center for Air and Space Travel in Cologne, said she believed the experiment
was worthwhile because "it will enhance our understanding of solar
energy and its use for propelling spacecraft."
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- Before reaching Bonn and Plzen, the mirror
was supposed to also illuminate the city of Aktyubinsk in Kazakstan and
Saratov in Russia as well as cities in Belarus and Ukraine. But the future
of the experiment was uncertain because of today's difficulties.
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- After the experiment is completed, the
mirror, along with the garbage-filled cargo ship will be allowed to burn
up in the atmosphere.
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- Russia ran a similar experiment six years
ago, but the crew then didn't try to maneuver the mirror and it was barely
visible only to those who knew its exact position.
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