Subject: mirnews.404
From: "C.M. vd Berg" <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 16:16:39 -0500

MIRNEWS.404                                     26 JANUARY 1998

MIR-routine: During the weekend of 17.01.98 Solovyov and Vinogradov entered
the airlock (Sh.S.O.) of the Module-D (Kvant-2) and showed images of the
outer hatch and its malfunctioning locks. One of those locks was seriously
damaged. The repair of this hatch will be done by the next crew for a
special spanner is needed which has to be made on earth and delivered to
MIR by that crew.  The Russians can work inside the Sh.S.O.  not wearing a
space suit for the air in the Sh.S.O. is leaking away very slowly. 

Endeavour (STS-89): During the launch of Endeavour on 23.01 at 0248UTC the
MIR was over Western Europe.  As the crew was not able to see the launch
they slept.  Appr. 19 minutes later Endeavour came in range of Western
Europa and via the 259.700 mc (AM-W) Terrence Wilcutt could be heard
reporting some facts to Houston via a trackingstation in Spain.  During the
periods in which Endeavour and MIR could communicate directly on VHF both
objects were out of our range. 

 A short time before the docking   images from MIR  with the approaching
Shuttle could be seen via Altair-2. This was not very much: 2 huge
projectors and a few obstacles.  In a very short transmission  CNN
transmitted the same images. (Not much attention by CNN for the  Clinton
sensation had a higher priority) 
 
Communications MIR after the docking:  Via VHF channels a lot of
interesting traffic.  The docking took place on 24.01.98 at 20.14.15UTC.
Just before the docking there was a short pass for Western Europe (MIR's
orbit 68163, 2008-2010UTC) with an elevation of 1 degree.  No traffic on
143.625 or 130.165 mc could be monitored then.  During the pass in orbit
68164, 2140-2149UTC, Solovyov could be heard on those 2 frequencies.  He
reported that at his side all was ready to open the hatches after airseal
checks,  egalisation of the pressures with the 'vestibule' of the docking
compartment (SO) and the installation of protection caps. At the side of
the Shuttle these procedures lasted longer and we had to wait until appr.
2225UTC before we could see how both commanders met each other. 

During the pass in orbit 68165,  2314-2324UTC, Solovyov reported that the
hatches were open and that the joint crew had been instructed how to escape
in case of emergency. 
 
Working days during the combined flight:  Both crews will stick to the
Houston working day.  

On 25.01.1998 during MIR's orbit 68179 (2007-2050UTC) Altair-2 was in use
for MIR-TsUP-M traffic.  Meanwhile Andy Thomas had relieved David Wolf as a
MIR-crew member.  Andy belonged to the MIR crew after the installation of
his 'seat-liner' in the Soyuz-TM26.  That ship serves as  a lifeboat in
case of emergency  and the seat-liner (the Russians speak about
'lozhement") must guarantuee a safe  landing  for him.  After a
conversation about this seat-liner MIR transmitted video-images. The first
images showed a totally desoriented salamander, followed by those of the
approaching Endeavour,  again the  poor salamander and at last the opening
of the hatch and capers of a happy David Wolf. 

But.... there was a problem: the spacesuit  especially made for Thomas did
not fit. He could not get in it and so he tried the suit of David Wolf. 
Again a problem: the fingers of his gloves were too long,  the Americans
said 15 centimeter, but in Solovyov's opinion this was not more than 7
centimeters. Solovyov convinced TsUP-M that this was not a problem for it
was possible to correct the size of the gloves by the use of special tape
(or: ribbons).  Nevertheless for some time the Americans considered the
possibility to take Andy back to earth this week. After 2 long
communication sessions and a visit to Soyuz-TM26 of Terry Wilcutt they gave
Andy permission to fulfil his mission on board MIR.  
 
Soyuz-TM27: On 29.01.98, so the day on which Endeavour will undock from
MIR, the Soyuz-TM27 will be launched from Baykonur at 1633UTC.  The docking
at MIR's aft (Kvant-1 +X ) docking port is planned for 31.01.98 at 1813UTC.
  The main crew of S-TM27 (and the crew for the 25th Main Expedition to
MIR) will consist of Talgat Musabayev (commander) and Nikolay Budarin
(flight engineer).  They will bring  CNES guest astronaut  Leopold Eyharts
to MIR.  Eyharts will remain 3 weeks on the MIR and after his stay return
to earth together with Solovyov and Vinogradov in the Soyuz-TM26. 
The reliefcrew has the callsign: Kristall. 

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