Subject: MIRNEWS.357
From: "C.M. van den Berg" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Cc: <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>, <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 20:37:33 +0200

MIRNEWS.357                                                   29 APRIL 1997

1st Spacewalk (EVA) MIR 23/NASA 4:

This EVA passed of successfully and without problems. Tsibliyev and
Linenger opened the hatch of the airlock of Kvant-2 on 29.04.1997 at
0510UTC and closed this after the EVA  at 10.08.30UTC. Duration: 4 hrs 57
mins and 10 secs. The cause of the slight delay is still  unknown.  The
fact that the EVA lasted much shorter than the planned 5 hrs 30 mins  was
no indication that they had been forced to return earlier but  they just
accomplished their tasks well within the duration which  had been foreseen.
 These tasks consisted of the installation of the OPM (Optical Properties
Monitor) at the outersurface of the SO (dockingcompartment at the Kristall
module). Having this done they moved by the crane Strela to the Kvant-2
where they retrieved the American experiments PIE (Partial Impact Expt) and
the MSE (Mir Sample Expt). These experiments will be brought back to earth
by the Atlantis in May this year. The last task was the installation on
Kvant-2 of the Benton Radiation Dosimeter. This instrument will measure the
intensity of the radiation between 51.6 dgs  North and 51.6 dgs South.  The
areas between these latitudes will be covered by the IRS, which will orbit
in the same inclination (51.6 dgs) as MIR.  During the first pass for our
location in orbit 63941 (0958-1010UTC) the EVA was in its final phase. The
both 'spacewalkers' already were in the airlock, which they had entered at
0930UTC.  During radiowindows they worked with tranquillizing music in the
background.  Radiotraffic revealed that Tsibliyev and Linenger  had a lot
of fun and acted fully relaxed.  The EVA was successful and they did not
meet any problems.  The new type of the Orlan DMA spacesuit was used for
the first time and  during the pass in orbit 63942 (1133-1145UTC) Tsibliyev
reported his satisfaction about the improvements.  He told that his good
experience with this spacesuit during trainings in the hydrolab now has
been proven in practice. The suit is very flexible, and especially the
gloves are very good: it is much easier to use your fingers.  And Tsibliyev
has the right to judge this for he did 5 EVA's during his mission in 1993.
During the EVA Lazutkin remained on board where he watched the systems,
made films of his colleagues, helped them with advices and communications. 
If the present good luck of the MIR exploration will not vanish Lazutkin
will do 2 EVA's together with Tsibliyev during this MIR 23d Main
expedition. 

Admiration: All those responsible for the achievements of today: the crew,
but also the flight control  and consultative groups in Korolyov and
Houston deserve our admiration for the way in which they showed their skill
and this  example of excellent international cooperation. They had  the
courage to execute this difficult operation just a week after a long period
in which the operational life of the MIR spacestation was hanging by a
thread.  Let us entrust the work on future space flight projects in their
hands!

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