Subject: Mirnews from Chris
From: "Hans G. Janssen" <[email-masked]>
To: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 06 Aug 1996 05:34:49 +0100

MIRNEWS.320          3 AUGUST 1996
  
  Progress-M32:  Docking at MIR:
  
  Progress-M32 docked at  the MIR-station (-X axis, 
  forward port transition section) on 2.08.1996 at 22.03.44
  UTC.  So 6 minutes later than planned. Approach and
  docking were executed in the automatic mode by the use of
  the system Kurs. 
  
  Radiotraffic: As always during such operations the
  radiotraffic was very interesting.  During the pass in
  orb. 59727,  2149-2156UTC , the approach was still going
  on.  The crew just accomplished a test of the TORU-system
  (for eventual manual guidance by the MIR-crew).  They did
  not use this system.  At 215520UTC the distance between
  Pr-M32 and MIR was 180 M. The cosmonauts monitored the
  images made from Pr-M32 of the station on their displays.
  They also observed the approaching Pr-M32 via illu-
  minators.  The traffic revealed that, though somewhat 
  slower than planned, the operation was proceeding well.  
  During the next pass in orb. 59728,  2327-2333UTC, 
  radiotraffic revealed that  Pr-M32 had docked at MIR. 
  The preparations for the opening of the hatches were
  going on,  i.e. airseal checks, the egalisation of the
  pressures in Pr-M32 and MIR,  deployment of an airhose,
  and so on. 
  During the pass in orb. 59729,  on 3.08.1996 from 0057-
  0107UTC,  the hatches were open and de cosmonauts already
  had entered the freighter to remove things which had to
  be transferred to the complex as soon as possible.  After
  checks of the systems of Pr-M32 and the work to be sure
  that Pr-M32 was fixed at the station tight and safely the
  crew could go asleep.  And so did, tired but satisfied, 
  your  'observer'.  
   
  The Progress-M32, will -relatively- remain a part of the
  MIR-complex for a short period:  If the operations with
  Soyuz-TM24 (reliefcrew) will proceed  according to  plan
  (of this moment)  Pr-M32 has to depart on 20.08.1996 to
  free the forward docking port for the Soyuz-TM24, which
  has to be launched on 19.08.1996.
    
  Progress-M31:  This old freighter separated from MIR on
  1.08.1996 at 16.44.54UTC. and burnt up in the atmosphere. 
  (Further details in a next MIR-report.)

  Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202