Nasa Reports Another Mir Malfunction

One year after a fire on Mir, a valve in an air purifier overheated and spread a small amount of smoke aboard the Russian space station, NASA said Friday.

American astronaut Andrew Thomas and his two Russian crewmates were in no danger, but the mishap Thursday “got everybody’s attention for a while,” said Frank Culbertson, director of NASA’s shuttle-Mir program.

The incident slightly elevated the craft’s carbon-monoxide levels, but they have been falling steadily since then, Culbertson said.