Computer Problem Bedevils Astronauts

Computer trouble prevented astronauts from steering the international space station’s new giant robot arm with a 1 1/2-ton load and resulted in a cascade of other problems.

Communication between the space station and Mission Control was disrupted, and an orbit-raising maneuver by the docked space shuttle Endeavour was put on hold.

NASA bumped the robot-arm workout to Thursday to give engineers more time to solve the underlying computer problem. If the trouble persists, the exercise will be rescheduled for Friday, Mission Control told the space station crew.