NASA Review Critical Of Mission Managers, Lack Of Complete Diagrams

The International Space Station has a lot of the same problems which led to the Columbia shuttle disaster. That word comes in a 172-page NASA internal review. Chief among the problems, according to the report: Engineers have failed to maintain a single, integrated set of blueprints that cover every aspect of the station's design and modifications. Databases stored in computers have become outdated. Some critical information hasn't even been digitized.

While NASA admits it did a poor job of tracking, analyzing and addressing safety problems within the shuttle program, the new report says the same is true for the ISS program, which is jointly administered by the US and Russia.

So what's the fix? NASA, in response to Friday's report, said it will mount surveillance cameras on new ISS modules when work resumes -- hopefully, sometime next year. NASA administrators point out there have been no major failures within the station.

NASA says it is also taking steps to reduce the threat of space debris. US intelligence services have also agreed to use orbital surveillance technology to look for problems on the exterior of the station. The station will be more intensely photographed during spacewalks.

FMI: www.spaceflight.nasa.gov/station