Summary: Although the space station components supplied by the Russians have complied with most safety standards, two Russian-built modules still fall short in meeting some important requirements. These modules are the Zarya, which provides the initial propulsion and guidance functions for the space station, and the Service Module, which will provide living quarters, life support systems, and guidance functions after docking with Zarya. Significant areas of noncompliance on one or both of the modules include (1) inadequate shielding from orbital debris, (2) an inability to operate after losing cabin pressure, (3) a lack of verification for the design and service life of windows, and (4) excessive noise levels. NASA officials said that shortfalls in Russian funding, designs based on existing Russian hardware, and technical disagreements with Russian engineers are the main reasons the modules do not comply with safety requirements. NASA waived compliance with safety requirements after determining that the risks were acceptable, allowing Zarya to be launched. It has yet to approve all instances of noncompliance for the Service Module. The four most significant instances in which Zarya failed to meet safety requirements or had performance problems did not warrant compensation from the contractor, according to NASA.
