HAM RADIO IN SPACE:  SOYUZ ACCIDENT SOLVED

A Russian state commission has set October 30th as the launch date for a 
Soyuz rocket carrying a three-person crew to the International Space Station. 
 The decision was made after investigators determined that it was a probably 
a production glitch rather than faulty design which led to the October 15th 
crash of a similar launch vehicle.

For a while, it appeared that ham radio operations and everything else on the 
International Space Station might come to a grinding halt.  Russia had 
threatened to suspend resupply launces following the mishap with the unmanned 
Soyuz ship which exploded seconds after liftoff, killing one person on the 
ground and injuring 20 others.  

Such a delay would have had a devastating effect of future habitation of the 
space station.  This is because the current emergency evacuation lifeboat 
vehicle is fast approaching the date on which it must be replaced.  Only a 
Soyuz launcher can carry the replacement lifeboat to the ISS.  If the Soyuz 
launchers had been kept on the ground, operations on the ISS might have been 
suspended.  Thankfully, that wont be the case.   (Published news reports)