Nasa is investigating the apparent sabotage of a computer due to be flown to the International Space Station. The US space agency said the damage to wiring in a network box was intentional and obvious, but said it could be repaired before take-off on 7 August. Nasa stressed that the lives of its astronauts had not been put at risk. The discovery came as an independent health panel was reported to have found that astronauts had been allowed to fly after drinking alcohol. The panel found that on two occasions Nasa astronauts had been allowed to fly despite warnings from flight surgeons and other astronauts that they were so drunk they posed a safety risk, flight journal Aviation Week and Space Technology reported. The panel was set up by Nasa to study health issues following the arrest on kidnapping and assault charges of the astronaut, Lisa Nowak. Ms Nowak is accused of attacking her love rival, the girlfriend of a fellow astronaut. The findings of the panel do not deal with Ms Nowak directly or mention any other astronaut by name.

The official review into astronauts' medical and behavioural health is expected to be released by Nasa on Friday. The agency has so far refused to comment on the allegations. Nasa's Associate Administrator for Space Operations, William Gerstenmaier, said the apparent sabotage of a non-essential computer had been discovered earlier this month. "The damage is very obvious, easy to detect," he told reporters. "It's not a mystery to us." Mr Gerstenmaier said wires had been found cut inside the unit before it had been loaded onto the shuttle. The computer is designed to collect and relay data from sensors which detect vibrations and forces on the space station's external trusses.

View: Full Article | Source: BBC News

Now this is strange. they seem to be more concerned with the astronauts drinking instead of delibrete sabotage.
Firstly why would someone sabotage the computer wouldent that result in manslaughter as it puts lives in great danger.kinda reminds you of the movie,Signs where Gary Busey is a religous nut and tries to sabotage the space travel contact mission.
And why would they let the astronauts fly drunk in multi million dollar craft.
very weird story i dont really know where to start thinking about it.
Any theorys.

no i read thee damage to the computer wouldn't be a life threatening issue

The artical stated that it wasn,t a life threatening problem and that the cut wires were obvious and easily spotted. IMO someone isn,t trying to sabotage anything,i think that certain someone who did this is having a personal melt down and forgot and/or needs to take their medication and a long rest!

It's a warning sign. They should find this person fast or else this person might do something seriously bad the next time.

Who would want to "sabotage" the space station? Just wondering.

As if space travel wasn't as risky as it is already without this kind of crap going on. I may be wrong on this one because I can't see into the far future, but for any number of reasons, one of the biggest being the sun's expansion, one day humans will have to get off this planet if they want to survive. In that aspect, it makes no sense why someone would want to sabotage any mission, even if it's not a "big" problem. Nor does it make any sense why Bush has ordered the shuttle fleet to be retired in a few years. What we're doing now are the baby steps that may be needed to be taken in order to go further in the future. Putting a stop to any aspect of space exploration is just plain idiotic.
And just a tiny correction, it was "Contact" that Busey was the religious freak lol. But you are right, it does remind me of that. Who knows why someone cut those wires, but I'm hoping they find exactly who did it and give them what punishment they have coming, even if it's just getting fired without pension.

NASA have created a new movie coming out this October, they have teamed up with the creators of starwars and battlestar galactica and even got some help from some trekkie, they are pleased to present "Drunk In Space"

lol I like that one, Drunk In Space. If NASA keeps letting them drink on the job pretty soon they're gonna need some of those breath test ignitions like some cars have in them. Repeat offenders have to blow sober or vehicle no go.

They theorized on a website that it was an angry disgruntled contactor but they don't know who.

Seems to me that with something as important as the space station and its crew that they would replace not just repair damaged equiptment.
If the damage was intentional then couldnt it have been done to throw them off of something that could be of greater importance?

I once had a drink in a bar on the Moon,But i didnt like the bar. It lacked atmosphere.
OK Flame me !