Subject: Mirnews 288
From: "Hans G. Janssen" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 13 Feb 1996 15:06:37 +0100

Helle Jonathan, Chris gave the newest MIRnews!

MIRNEWS.288      9 FEBRUARY 1996

3d Spacewalk (EVA)  20th Main Expedition MIR:

Gidzenko and Reiter made this EVA on 8.02.1996. For the Euro mir95 astronaut 
this was the 2d EVA. The estimated duration of the EVA was appr. 5 hrs and 30 
minutes. Due to the  cancella tion of the 2d part of the operation the EVA 
lasted conside rably shorter. After extensive checks of the spacesuits and 
technical systems in the airlock of Module-D the cosmonauts opened the hatch 
at 1403UTC. The Euromir95 part of the EVA has been executed successfully and 
in accordance with the timeli ne. Gidzenko and Reiter transported themselves 
by the Strela girder to the surface of the module Spektr. After the ne-

cessary checks they removed the scientific samples of the
ESEF-experiment (European Space Exposure Facility). Reiter and Avdeyev 
installed these samples during the EVA on 21.10.1995. Reiter brought back 2 
cassettes which have been collecting
natural cosmic dust and man-made space debris. These cassettes could be 
opened and closed by remote control from inside MIR. This possibility was 
needed for the most effective reception of space-debris and for the 
protection from pollution by the engines of the Atlantis during the docking 
in November 1995.  The 2d part of the EVA had to be cancelled. They had to 
work on the mechanism of the joint system of an antenna of the
Kristall-module. The bolts, which had to be loosened were
fixed so firmly that the cosmonauts were unable to unscrew
them with the equipment at their disposal. So TsUP ordered
them to stop those activities and to return to the station. The cosmonauts 
closed the hatch behind them at 1709UTC. So the duration of this EVA was 3 
hrs and 6 minutes. After the EVA Gidzenko and Reiter were in good health and 
mood. The task
still to be done has to be accomplished by another crew for this one will 
return to earth shortly.  

Communications: During the preparations for the EVA the crew communicated via 
trackingstations in the east of Russia and the geostationairy satellite 
Altair. During the EVA itself
they communicated via trackingstations and the Luch-1 satelli te (94.082A 
over 96 degrees East). 

Plans for the near future: Launch of the Soyuz-TM23 with the reliefcrew still 
on schedule for 21.02.1996 at 1233UTC. Return of the 20th ME MIR and the 
Euromir95 astronaut by Soyuz-TM22 on 29.02.1996. The launchdate of the module 
Priroda has not been determined thusfar. Possibly the launch will take place 
in the beginning of April 1996.                  
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