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HOUSTON — NASA restored communication Tuesday with the International Space Station after a malfunction with the station's primary computer left them out of contact with Houston command and control for almost three hours.
According to a NASA press release, scientists at the Houston-based mission control offices were updating the software on the station's main computer at about 7:45 a.m. That led to a malfunction in the station's data relay systems, NASA said.
"The computer basically burped, for lack of a better word," said NASA spokesperson Josh Byerly.
As the ship flew over Russian ground stations at about 9 a.m., NASA was able to reestablish temporary communications. The station's commander updated the ground crew, saying the space crew was doing fine. They were also given instructions on how to connect a backup computer that should restore communications.
Eventually, they were able to reconfigure the computer systems and get full command and control back online.
The situation was a cause for concern, but was not an immediate crisis. NASA officials compared the situation to the way they used to do things back in the 60s, when communication was only possible when astronauts were directly overhead. In the meantime, astronauts would be confidently in charge of their craft.
Later, NASA built the Tracking and Data Relay satellites, which orbit high above the station and allow for constant contact.
Somewhat ironically, scientists and astronauts had been purposefully simulating communication breakdowns and delays to study the problems a manned trip to Mars would face, according to Byerly. This breakdown, however, was not part of their tests.
The space station carries one Canadian and two American astronauts, as well as three Russian cosmonauts.