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The Mir’s onboard computer broke down again Monday and forced the crew to shut down most of the space station’s equipment. Russian and American space officials downplayed the seriousness of the computer crash, the third aboard Mir since mid-July. The station was able to maintain its orientation toward the sun, and its power supplies were in much better shape than during the previous breakdowns. Ground controllers in Moscow said they hoped to repair and restart the computer Tuesday. The crew was in no danger, they said. “Why do these malfunctions happen?” asked Vladimir Solovyov, the chief of Russia’s Mission Control. “Do you know why your car breaks down? It’s hard to say what the reasons might be.”
