A software glitch, and possible lapse in human attention, were to blame for throwing the International Space Station out of control, but work was proceeding to activate a newly attached module at the centre of the mishap, said Russian space officials on Friday.

Jet thrusters on the Russian research module Nauka inadvertently reignited on Thursday a few hours after it docked to the space station, causing the entire orbital outpost to pitch out of its normal flight position some 400km above the Earth with seven crew members aboard.

According to Nasa's account of the incident, the mission flight director immediately declared...