Subject: mirnews.384
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: Tue, 16 Sep 1997 20:54:33 +0200

MIRNEWS.384                                           16 SEPTEMBER 1997

Priroda: Drying out of this module lasted longer than expected. In the
evening of 11.09 Vinogradov collected 8 liters of  condense water. 

Kristall: This module is dry.  This is not the case with the SO (docking
compartment) attached at Kristall.  The crew  supposed that they have to
dry out this SO in the same way as they do with Priroda. 

On 14.09 TsUP asks Vinogradov whether the crew already used condensation
for drinking water. Analyses of water samples delivered on earth on 14.08
should  justify the potable use of water from condensation. Vinogradov said
that they did not thusfar, but that they have used this water for the 
refilling of  the Elektron. 

On 14.09 at 1028UTC the crew got orders to switch off the Ts.V.M.-1 (Main
OBC).  Telemetry indicated that 2 of the 3 channels (possibly interfaces)
of that computer produced incorrect data.  Due to the better charged
accumulators this time the usual 'chain-reaction'  was not as abrupt as
during Ts.V.M.-1 failures in the past.  Nevertheless the SUD, the attitude
control, switched itself off and the gyrodynes slowed down and stopped. 
The Elektron,  which consumes 1 Kw was switched off.  The complex came in
the so called 'free drift'.  

When on 15.09 the station passed over here  for the 3d time in orb. 66107
(0509UTC) the cosmonauts had switched on the Ts.V.M.-1 as well as the SUD. 
This  was only for a short period. Later on both systems were 'off'.  The
cosmonauts got permission to  dismantle the computer and to replace   some 
parts and/or accessories. 
At TsUP considerations were going on about the replacement of this computer
by a reserve which has been  in stock for a long time if the repairs might
fail. 

At last  the decision  was taken to have the whole computer replaced  and
so the crew did. In the evening the  cosmonauts  rebooted the 'new'
computer.

In the night from 15 to 16.09 Solovyov was on duty while experts at TsUP
loaded data in the computer.  As soon as the computer was operational the
attitude of the complex could be stabilised. 

On 16.09 at 02.15.03UTC the orientation was restored in such a manner that 
recharging of the accumulators could begin. Radiotraffic revealed that the
situation was normalizing. A number of systems, among which the Elektron,
remained off. For oxygen production the cosmonauts  continued to use 
'disks' (lithium perchlorate cartridges).

The pressure of MIR's atmosphere was 618 mm mercury. 

More computer news:  Progress-M36 has to deliver a brand-new computer in
October this year. 

Chris Vandenberg, NL-9165/A-UK3202