Subject: MIRNEWS.399
From: "C.M. vd Berg" <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 1997 03:08:55 -0500

MIRNEWS.399                                        17 DECEMBER 1997

Progress-M36: 

According to plan this freighter undocked from MIR on 17.12.97 at 0602UTC. 
As soon as Pr-M36 was at a safe distance from MIR the German-Russian
observation satellite Inspektor was jettisoned from Pr-M36  (0735UTC). The
crew of the MIR observed  both autonomously flying objects on monitors of
the TORU system and via portholes. 

 Inspektor: 

Immediately after the launch of the Inspektor it was clear that it would be
impossible to steer the satellite by the remote control system due to a
failure of the star sensor of Inspektor.  The flight around the
Progress-M36 was impossible and after a few hours of observing  and
analysing all further operations with Inspektor were  cancelled. 

During MIR's orbit 67565 between 1307 and 1354UTC during a communication
session via Altair-2  the cosmonauts and TsUP thoroughly discussed the
problems.  MIR also transmitted images to earth with that what could be
seen on monitors and via the big porthole of the Priroda module.  Inspektor
was flying not far from Pr-M36.  Inspektor has to be given up and will
decay and burn up in the earth atmosphere  in the near future due to the
natural drag. Next week experts of DLR will  try to pick up Inspektor's
telemetry to find out what went wrong. 

MIR:   As of the beginning of his autonomous flight Inspektor was an
unguided missile and a collision with the MIR-complex  was possible.  So
the Russians decided to bring MIR in a somewhat higher orbit.  This orbit
correction took place on 17.12 at 1511UTC.  

Progress-M36: The transmissions of this freighter could be monitored during
all possible passes on 17.12.1997.  When Pr-M36 will be put on a
destruction course was not yet decided when this report went to the press.
(The use of Pr-M36 for some additional tests of the TORU system might be a
possibility.)

Progress-M37:  Life goes on and  so  the launch of the next freighter is
still on schedule. This launch has been put forward and will take place
from Baykonur on 20.12.97 at 0845UTC. If all goes as fervidly whished
Pr-M37 will dock at MIR on 22.12.97 at 1045UTC.

 Chris van den Berg,   NL-9165/A-UK3202.