Subject: mirnews.411
From: "C.M. vd Berg" <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 4 Mar 1998 13:41:07 -0500 (EST)

Dit is een meerdelig bericht in MIME-indeling.

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MIRNEWS.411 3 March 1998

Spacewalk (EVA) cancelled: After the EVA preparations in the P.N.O. =
(Instrument- and Scientific Compartment) the cosmonauts entered the =
Sh.S.O. (the unserviceable airlock) and tried to open the locks of the =
outer hatch. The opening of the hatch, so the beginning of the EVA, was =
planned for 0130UTC. At this moment MIR was out of my range. Traffic via =
Altair-2 began at 0232 and lasted until 0246UTC, so not the full window =
for MIR-Altair-2 was used. At 0232UTC Musabayev and Budarin (M. and B.) =
were still in the Sh.S.O. as their attempts to open the airlock had =
failed. To open the hatch they had to unlock 10 locks. They unlocked 9 =
of them, but the last one had been fixed so tightly that B. had to use =
extreme strength to do that. Doing this he broke all 3 available =
spanners. Immediately after getting in touch with TsUP M. reported that =
they last of the 10 locks hampered the continuation of the operation and =
that B. had broken all 3 spanners. The heads of the spanners broke off =
and floated away. M. told that the started repressurizing the P.N.O. to =
enable them to take off their spacesuits. He added that this day was not =
a festive day at all.=20

During the next communication session M. and B. were in the P.N.O. and =
had taken off their spacesuits. They did not immediately react on calls =
from TsUP and so Andy Thomas spoke with TsUP. He did this in reasonable =
and certainly comprehensible Russian.=20

A few minutes later M. and B. were back in the Base Block and they asked =
when they could make the next EVA. They said that it was possible to do =
that successfully if they had the right tools. If necessary they were =
prepared to do this immediately. TsUP did not give permission to do that =
and stated that the next EVA could be made after the delivery of new =
spanners with the Progress-M38, the start of which is scheduled for 15 =
March (UTC 14.03.98 at 2240UTC).

TsUP ordered M. to prepare a video session during the next window via =
Altair-2. M. asked whether TsUP wished to see the hatch and that this =
was difficult to perform. TsUP wished to see the broken spanners. During =
the session in orbit 68748 (0545-0557UTC) Budarin showed the broken =
spanners and explained what happened. During this TV session the crew =
congratulated the TV-organisation of Kazakhstan with the 40th =
anniversary.=20

Due the limited use of the Altair-2 windows during vacuuming I was not =
able to determine the period during which the cosmonauts were in vacuum. =

MIR-routine: On 26.02.1998 during a pass in which MIR used the =
trackingstation Wallops they reported a smoke incident. More about this =
incident Musabayev reported after coming in range off the first Russian =
trackingstation. There was not an emergency situation for the smoke was =
not caused by a fire. It was just an overheated ventilator in het BMP, a =
detector and/or scrubber for =91noxious micro particles in the =
MIR-atmosphere=92. The instrument or device had been switched off and a =
purification process had been started. Offically the incident was =
evaluated as a =91non issue=92 for there had been no danger for the crew =
and it did not harm the health of the crew. Later on there have been =
reports about a slightly higher percentage of carbon monoxyde in MIR=92s =
air.=20

During the next day TsUP told Musabayev that they had got information =
that Andy Thomas did not feel well. Musabayev stated that Andy said that =
he felt well. Nevertheless TsUP ordered M. to look for a so called =
=91oxygen profylactic mask=92 which Andy had to put on for a certain =
period.=20

When the smoke started Andy was training on the tredmill in the module =
Kristall. He went from there to the Priroda and could see the smoke in =
the Base Block.=20

Preparations EVA: The working hours on 27 and 28.02.1998 were used for =
checking EVA equipment and spacesuits and for the training for the EVA =
itself.=20

Future spacewalks: The EVA=92s for this month and for next April have =
been put back until further notice. It is clear that the present =
situation is very problematic: it is not possible to do EVA=92s even if =
this, in case of calamaties outside the complex, might be necessary. All =
ports of the old airlock (the P.Kh.O., or transition section) are =
occupied (4 modules and the S-TM27).=20

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

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<DIV>
<P align=3Djustify>MIRNEWS.411 3 March 1998</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Spacewalk (EVA) cancelled: After the EVA preparations =
in the=20
P.N.O. (Instrument- and Scientific Compartment) the cosmonauts entered =
the=20
Sh.S.O. (the unserviceable airlock) and tried to open the locks of the =
outer=20
hatch. The opening of the hatch, so the beginning of the EVA, was =
planned for=20
0130UTC. At this moment MIR was out of my range. Traffic via Altair-2 =
began at=20
0232 and lasted until 0246UTC, so not the full window for MIR-Altair-2 =
was used.=20
At 0232UTC Musabayev and Budarin (M. and B.) were still in the Sh.S.O. =
as their=20
attempts to open the airlock had failed. To open the hatch they had to =
unlock 10=20
locks. They unlocked 9 of them, but the last one had been fixed so =
tightly that=20
B. had to use extreme strength to do that. Doing this he broke all 3 =
available=20
spanners. Immediately after getting in touch with TsUP M. reported that =
they=20
last of the 10 locks hampered the continuation of the operation and that =
B. had=20
broken all 3 spanners. The heads of the spanners broke off and floated =
away. M.=20
told that the started repressurizing the P.N.O. to enable them to take =
off their=20
spacesuits. He added that this day was not a festive day at all. </P>
<P align=3Djustify>During the next communication session M. and B. were =
in the=20
P.N.O. and had taken off their spacesuits. They did not immediately =
react on=20
calls from TsUP and so Andy Thomas spoke with TsUP. He did this in =
reasonable=20
and certainly comprehensible Russian. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>A few minutes later M. and B. were back in the Base =
Block and=20
they asked when they could make the next EVA. They said that it was =
possible to=20
do that successfully if they had the right tools. If necessary they were =

prepared to do this immediately. TsUP did not give permission to do that =
and=20
stated that the next EVA could be made after the delivery of new =
spanners with=20
the Progress-M38, the start of which is scheduled for 15 March (UTC =
14.03.98 at=20
2240UTC).</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>TsUP ordered M. to prepare a video session during the =
next=20
window via Altair-2. M. asked whether TsUP wished to see the hatch and =
that this=20
was difficult to perform. TsUP wished to see the broken spanners. During =
the=20
session in orbit 68748 (0545-0557UTC) Budarin showed the broken spanners =
and=20
explained what happened. During this TV session the crew congratulated =
the=20
TV-organisation of Kazakhstan with the 40<SUP>th</SUP> anniversary. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Due the limited use of the Altair-2 windows during =
vacuuming I=20
was not able to determine the period during which the cosmonauts were in =
vacuum.=20
</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>MIR-routine: On 26.02.1998 during a pass in which MIR =
used the=20
trackingstation Wallops they reported a smoke incident. More about this =
incident=20
Musabayev reported after coming in range off the first Russian =
trackingstation.=20
There was not an emergency situation for the smoke was not caused by a =
fire. It=20
was just an overheated ventilator in het BMP, a detector and/or scrubber =
for=20
&lsquo;noxious micro particles in the MIR-atmosphere&rsquo;. The =
instrument or=20
device had been switched off and a purification process had been =
started.=20
Offically the incident was evaluated as a &lsquo;non issue&rsquo; for =
there had=20
been no danger for the crew and it did not harm the health of the crew. =
Later on=20
there have been reports about a slightly higher percentage of carbon =
monoxyde in=20
MIR&rsquo;s air. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</P>
<P align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</P>
<P align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</P>
<P align=3Djustify>During the next day TsUP told Musabayev that they had =
got=20
information that Andy Thomas did not feel well. Musabayev stated that =
Andy said=20
that he felt well. Nevertheless TsUP ordered M. to look for a so called=20
&lsquo;oxygen profylactic mask&rsquo; which Andy had to put on for a =
certain=20
period. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>When the smoke started Andy was training on the =
tredmill in the=20
module Kristall. He went from there to the Priroda and could see the =
smoke in=20
the Base Block. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Preparations EVA: The working hours on 27 and =
28.02.1998 were=20
used for checking EVA equipment and spacesuits and for the training for =
the EVA=20
itself. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Future spacewalks: The EVA&rsquo;s for this month and =
for next=20
April have been put back until further notice. It is clear that the =
present=20
situation is very problematic: it is not possible to do EVA&rsquo;s even =
if=20
this, in case of calamaties outside the complex, might be necessary. All =
ports=20
of the old airlock (the P.Kh.O., or transition section) are occupied (4 =
modules=20
and the S-TM27). </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Chris van den Berg, =
NL-9165/A-UK3202</P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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