Space equipment working again

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - Astronauts aboard the orbiting shuttle-station complex got a double dose of good news yesterday: A rotary joint that they spent days cleaning and lubing appeared to be working normally again for the first time in more than a year, and a urine-recycling machine finally was behaving.

NASA officials cautioned more tests are needed, but that didn't dampen the enthusiasm 225 miles up.

The urine processor - a key part of a new $154 million water recycling system delivered by Endeavour - was the first to fall into line. It had been shutting down prematurely ever since it was installed at the international space station last week, and the astronauts had spent days trying to coax it into operation.

By early yesterday, the machine had run continuously for five hours, well past the intended mark. Additional testing was ongoing, and hopes were high that more than enough samples of processed urine would be returned to Earth aboard Endeavour for safety tests.

NASA needs to be able to convert astronauts' urine and sweat into drinking water in order to double the size of the space station crew to six next year. No one will drink any of the recycled water until the equipment runs for at least 90 days in orbit and tests on the ground show it's safe.

The jammed joint had prevented the solar wings on the right side of the space station from pointing toward the sun. Astronauts tried four times to clean and lubricate the joint.

ASSOCIATED PRESS