Subject: mirnews.406
From: "C.M. vd Berg" <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 1998 10:03:31 -0500 (EST)

MIRNEWS.406                                                    9 FEBRUARY
1998

Failure attitude control system:   on 4.02.1998 during MIR's pass in orbit
68334, 1848-1856UTC, Solovyov reported that at 1831UTC  he had got the
warning: Check the SUD and that the complex was now  in the so called
'Indikatornyy Rezhim'  meaning that  MIR   was  flying in the 'free drift'.
    Due to the fact that  time was running out he asked for advice from
TsUP.  TsUP asked for 'format' and 'regime'. S. gave Format 1, Indicated
regime,    operation rotation.  The gyrodynes were still spinning and the
Ts.V.M.-1 (Main computer) remained operational.  They shifted to the regime
of 'reduced power consumption' and among the systems which had to be 
switched off were both  Elektron oxygen generators. 

During the radiotraffic about this SUD failure Solovyov also mentioned  the
VDU.  The VDU is the external thruster in the Sofora boom. Possibly the
failure had been caused by a wrong command in which the VDU was involved.
For the last time the VDU was used to control attitude during the beginning
of the combined flight of MIR and Endeavour.  The VDU almost ran out of
fuel and will be replaced in the near future.

Due to the fact that the Ts.V.M.-1  remained operational and the gyrodynes
did not stop spinning the  problem with the SUD could be solved  already in
the evening of 4.02.98  and did not have a negative effect on the present
mission. 

On 5.02.1998 Altair-2 could be used for communications. Normally a serious
attitude problem makes the use of that facility impossible.  Leopold
Eyharts gave a long TV-interview in which he   reported  with enthousiasm
about his mission.  

Also the following days Altair-2 was regularly in use for communications
and TV-sessions, for instance with the press, family and friends. In one of
the sessions Vinogradov showed a lot of systems and explained their
functions. The mood among the 4 cosmonauts, 1 astronaut and 1 spationaute
is excellent.  There is a  lot of joy and they do not complain about their
modest housing. A good example of international cooperation. 
Thusfar Solovyov is still in command and he and Vinogradov are responsible
for a number of repairs and for a good functioning of the life support
systems. 
Now and then Andy Thomas can be heard when he is in contact with his lead
at TsUP in English.   I did not  yet hear him speaking Russian.

Soyuz-TM26: The return of this ship with the crew of the 24th Main
Expedition (Solovyov and Vinogradov) and the CNES spationaute is scheduled
for 19.02.1998. 
That day the hatch between the departing men will be closed between 0240
and 0252UTC.   S-TM26 will separate from  MIR between 0553 and 0604UTC. 
The landing is planned for 0917UTC. 

Data and times of the operations with S-TM27 (redocking) and the
Progress-M37 (return to the complex after the autonomous flight and docking
at the aft port) still have to be determined.  
  
 C.M. van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.