Last week while installing some new solar panels on the International Space Station one of the key computers on board failed. Now when I say key, I mean the computer that heats, cools and steers the station in space. Thankfully the US Space Shuttle was docked to the station and fired its thrusters to keep the station in orbit. The computer failure has been sorted by the Russians, they built the thing, but all involved say there is a chance it could happen again.
The European Space Agency has real concern as they are deploying two components of the station this year that run off the same computer system. The Russians are working with the ESA to rectify this problem for the future. The fact of the matter is, according to the article linked below, that no matter what, as the station continues to grow these kind of problems will crop up.
