Subject: mirnews.383
From: "C.M. van den Berg" <[email-masked]>
To: "Adam Tanner" <[email-masked]>, "Dan Gauthier" <[email-masked]>, "dirk rensink" <[email-masked]>, "Dave Larsen" <[email-masked]>, "Jonathan McDowell" <[email-masked]>, "Friends Partners Space" <[email-masked]>, "Mats Rieschel" <[email-masked]>
Cc: <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 21:13:00 +0200

MIRNEWS.383                              10 SEPTEMBER 1997

Progress-M35:  This old supply-ship has been keeping watch at the aft
(Kvant-1) docking port as of 18.08, the day of the redocking.  Due to the
well-known priorities the crew has not paid any attention to this ship
until 8.09.97. One of the first tasks of the this day was the opening of
the hatch and the inspection of Pr-M35's interior.  The main function of
the Pr-M35 was the protection of the docking mechanism of Kvant-1 against
the sun. The freighter has still room in which garbage and other no longer
needed material can be stowed.  During the first pass for our position in
orb. 65998 (0522UTC) preparations for the opening of the hatch were going
on.  The  crew got permission to open the hatch  after the air seal checks.
 During the next pass in orb. 65999 ( the Russians  consider this orbit  to
be number 66000)  the hatch had already been opened but Solovyov had set
this ajar for the smell which  came out of the Pr-M35 was  far from  a
'kurort smell'.  The  crew however  had to cease all activities with the
Pr-M35 due to other concerns.

Main Computer failure:  In the pass in orb. 65999 TsUP wants to discuss the
air seal check with Vinogradov. V. interrupts TsUP with the statement that
a few minutes ago (exactly 0700UTC) the Ts.V.M.-1 had shut itself down. 
After this report  followed the usual chain reaction: the SUD (system for
movements- or attitude control) stopped and Foale reported that this was
also the case with the SUD in Module-D (Kvant-2).  Systems like SRV-U
(regeneration of water from urine) and Elektron had to be switched off. 
TsUP gave orders to burn 3 lithium perchlorate cartridges for oxygen
generation. (Solovyov stated repeatedly that the delivery of a new supply
of those cartridges during mission STS-86 is badly needed.) Foale reported
that the angle of the solar panels to the sun  was unfavourable, but  that
the complex though inclining a little bit on one side, was stable. In
passing TsUP stated that they have a jubilee: the 66000th orbit of MIR's
Base Block.  This statement did not evoke joyful reactions or
congratulations. 

In spite of the complicated situation on board there was some excitement:
the 'scapegoats of the space era' ,Tsibliyev and Lazutkin, visited TsUP and
had a short conversation with their colleagues in space.  Foale, the
crewman with a great sense of humour, told Tsibliyev that his 'darling' the
SUD,  again chucked the thing. After a short conversation   with these 2 
poor guys on earth about the fact that they would depart for a vacation, 
the crew set  back to work. 

About the computer:  The crew restarted the computer, but  failed to find
the cause of the failure.  So they switched the computer off.  A specialist
told Vinogradov  that there must be a spare Ts.M.O. on board which
eventually could be used to replace  the present Ts.M.O. (Central Module
for Data exchange). The failure of the Ts.V.M.-1 during the redocking
operation of the Pr-M35 had  probably been caused by a defective Ts.M.O. 
In the course of the day it was obvious that the crew had everything under
control and that the repair of the computer was  successfully proceeding. 

During the night Solovyov was on duty to keep his eye on the situation  and
to assist TsUP during the reloading of the repaired computer.  In the
morning of 9.09 Solovyov was still on duty during the first pass over here
in orbit 66013, 0427UTC. 

                                                         -2-

                                                          -2-

Depending on the state of the SEP (Power supply system) they would power up
the rest of the gyrodyna's this day.  During the next pass Vinogradov was
on duty and Solovyov  tried to get some rest in his sleeping bag.  Already
6 gyrodyna's were spinning, the Elektron had been switched on, lights were
burning and ventilators were buzzing again. Vinogradov reported about the
problems he had met while powering up the computer. He had met the same
problems like Lazutkin a few weeks ago. 

Stabilization:  At the beginning of the next day (10.09) it was obvious
that the situation had been stabilising gradually. All available gyrodyna's
 were functioning and the crew could eventually restart experiments. The
main activity consisted of the reanimation of the Module Priroda.  The
interior of this module will be dried with hot air.  To blow this hot air
into the module air-hoses are used. 

Next spacewalk (EVA): After the arrival of Progress-M36 in the beginning of
October. 

Chris Vandenberg, NL-9165/A-UK3202