A potential crisis was averted Friday when Russian space engineers managed to jump start critical computers aboard the International Space Station. Space officials say the situation could still alter plans for the return of the U.S. space shuttle Atlantis, which has been lending support to the space station while the computers were down.

Despite a serious computer meltdown, NASA has left an astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts on the limping international space station without problems.

Russian specialists monitoring the current Atlantis mission to the International Space Station said the U.S. space shuttle's crew were preparing for their first spacewalk Monday, a day after docking with the orbital station, run jointly by Russia's Federal Space Agency and NASA.

Two Russian cosmonauts have returned to the International Space Station after successfully completing their second space walk in eight days.

An unmanned Russian cargo ship docked with the international space station on Tuesday, delivering 2.5 tons of supplies and equipment for the orbital outpost as well as gifts for its Russian-American crew.

Queen Elizabeth visited NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. Her visit came after U.S. space agency and British National Space Centre discussed the opportunities of their collaboration in future.