Technical problems with Russia's workhorse space vehicle Soyuz have been more serious than previously given, Moscow media reports said on Friday, citing unnamed space officials.
The Interfax agency cited an unnamed employee of the Russian space agency Roskosmos as saying that the new digital guidance system in the Soyuz had repeatedly failed during a flight to the International Space Station ISS three weeks ago.
In addition, shortly before launching, the capsule's pressure was much too high due apparently to an oxygen leak.
An investigation commission is now looking into the Soyuz' problems, which, however, were said not to have endangered the cosmonauts' lives.
The unnamed space agency employee said that in September as well there were considerable air pressure problems on a Soyuz capsule, with the cause thought to be a defective valve.
In addition, the Soyuz was initially unable to decouple from the ISS due to a computer glitch.
But the problems with the Soyuz' new digital guidance technology were said to be considerably more complicated.
On Saturday, a supply rocket is to dock with the ISS bringing a DVD programmed to test the software on the Soyuz capsule. The Soyuz is scheduled to bring three cosmonauts back to earth in March 2011.
Currently there are six crewmembers - three Russians and three Americans - on board the ISS. -
Sapa-dpa