Subject: mirnews.420
From: "C.M. vd Berg" <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 29 Apr 1998 09:03:36 -0400 (EDT)

Dit is een meerdelig bericht in MIME-indeling.

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MIRNEWS.420 28 APRIL 1998

MIR-routine: After the last of the 5 EVA-s the Russians restarted their =
own experiment programs, which did not get much attention during the =
busy EVA period. This caused a lot of work for Musabayev and Budarin who =
got many radiograms with instructions and requests. M. told TsUP to send =
them clear and accurate instructions.

Meanwhile experts of DLR and ESA in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich =
(Germany) were ready to continue the experiments with the BDD =
(Betriebstechnik Deutschland Direkt). These experiments started during =
the mission MIR-97 and had to be discontinued due to the failure of =
Altair-1. The team in Oberpfaffenhofen was ready for the operation. On =
board MIR the crew still had to work on cables and systems. The former =
DDR cosmonaut Sigmund Jaehn had heard rumours saying that M. and B. were =
reluctant to execute the BDD experiments. Musabayev emphatically denied =
this: on the contrary, he and his colleague liked to do this very much =
and he promised to do all what was necessary to be ready in the benefit =
of the good friendship with their German partners. He immediately =
started his cable work.=20

The first communication session in the BDD framework took place on =
24.04.98 at 1649UTC. The first attempts resulted in phone and images =
with a very good quality. All what could be heard and seen was very =
interesting.=20

In those transmissions from MIR via Altair-2 the TV-uplink images could =
be seen with the equipment and team in Oberpfaffenhofen including Hans =
Schlegel. It was a demonstration of an excellent international =
cooperation: a Kazak, a Russian, an Australian American, and on earth a =
number of Germans, among them a former D.D.R. cosmonaut . 3 languages =
could be heard: Russian, German and English.

In excellent German Andy Thomas spoke with Hans Schlegel. And it was =
clear that Musabayev had picked up a lot of the German language from the =
community of former Volga-Germans in his native country: he easely uses =
phrases like Gott sei Dank, Wie geht es Ihnen and Auf Wiedersehen.=20

There had been plans to continue the experimental BDD operation on =
Monday, 27.04, but that had to be cancelled: the TV screen on board MIR =
remained dark!.=20

During the communication window, which had been intended for BDD contact =
Altair-2 was operational and stand-by.=20

So everybody was satisfied on Tuesday, 28.04.1998 when at 1402UTC =
Altair-2 was transmitting loud and clear. The operators in the Russian =
tracking station for Altair-2 (Medvezhje Ozero -Bears Lake- near Moscow) =
aimed one of the antennae of the satellite in the direction of Munich =
and immediately a very good communication session could be established. =
The color(!) images from MIR, but also via MIR from Oberpfaffenhofen =
were excellent. Between the team on earth and the crew there was some =
confusion about which floppydisk with the BDD program had to be used. =
Was it BDD nr. 1 or 3? They showed each other the disks they had and the =
texts on these disks were clearly readable. The people behind the =
keyboards and screen in Oberpfaffenhofen also could be seen. Musabayev =
showed the screen of a laptop, with data of the BDD program.=20

The Altair-2 window for BDD use was open until 1440UTC and exactly at =
that moment the Bears lake people aimed the antennae again in their own =
direction and the signal became weaker and for some minutes it was =
difficult to understand what Musabayev said. After a while Musabayev =
switched over to the phone mode and all was as before. So the antenna =
manoeuvre did not harm the satellite. (Thusfar I do not know the cause =
of the failure of Altair-1 in 1997. During the MIR-97 period Altair-1 =
came in a so called sun-pointing attitude. Whether this had something to =
with the antenna manoeuvres or with the age of the satellite is still a =
question for me.)

During the rest of this week more BDD operations are planned. =
(Experiments executed by experts on earth without interfering by the =
crew, for instance with the Titus furnace, and data-transmission =
activities.)

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

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<DIV>
<P align=3Djustify>MIRNEWS.420 28 APRIL 1998</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>MIR-routine: After the last of the 5 EVA-s the =
Russians=20
restarted their own experiment programs, which did not get much =
attention during=20
the busy EVA period. This caused a lot of work for Musabayev and Budarin =
who got=20
many radiograms with instructions and requests. M. told TsUP to send =
them clear=20
and accurate instructions.</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Meanwhile experts of DLR and ESA in Oberpfaffenhofen =
near=20
Munich (Germany) were ready to continue the experiments with the BDD=20
(Betriebstechnik Deutschland Direkt). These experiments started during =
the=20
mission MIR-97 and had to be discontinued due to the failure of =
Altair-1. The=20
team in Oberpfaffenhofen was ready for the operation. On board MIR the =
crew=20
still had to work on cables and systems. The former DDR cosmonaut =
Sigmund Jaehn=20
had heard rumours saying that M. and B. were reluctant to execute the =
BDD=20
experiments. Musabayev emphatically denied this: on the contrary, he and =
his=20
colleague liked to do this very much and he promised to do all what was=20
necessary to be ready in the benefit of the good friendship with their =
German=20
partners. He immediately started his cable work. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>The first communication session in the BDD framework =
took place=20
on 24.04.98 at 1649UTC. The first attempts resulted in phone and images =
with a=20
very good quality. All what could be heard and seen was very =
interesting. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>In those transmissions from MIR via Altair-2 the =
TV-uplink=20
images could be seen with the equipment and team in Oberpfaffenhofen =
including=20
Hans Schlegel. It was a demonstration of an excellent international =
cooperation:=20
a Kazak, a Russian, an Australian American, and on earth a number of =
Germans,=20
among them a former D.D.R. cosmonaut . 3 languages could be heard: =
Russian,=20
German and English.</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>In excellent German Andy Thomas spoke with Hans =
Schlegel. And=20
it was clear that Musabayev had picked up a lot of the German language =
from the=20
community of former Volga-Germans in his native country: he easely uses =
phrases=20
like Gott sei Dank, Wie geht es Ihnen and Auf Wiedersehen. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>There had been plans to continue the experimental BDD =
operation=20
on Monday, 27.04, but that had to be cancelled: the TV screen on board =
MIR=20
remained dark!. </P>
<P align=3Djustify>During the communication window, which had been =
intended for=20
BDD contact Altair-2 was operational and stand-by. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>So everybody was satisfied on Tuesday, 28.04.1998 =
when at=20
1402UTC Altair-2 was transmitting loud and clear. The operators in the =
Russian=20
tracking station for Altair-2 (Medvezhje Ozero -Bears Lake- near Moscow) =
aimed=20
one of the antennae of the satellite in the direction of Munich and =
immediately=20
a very good communication session could be established. The color(!) =
images from=20
MIR, but also via MIR from Oberpfaffenhofen were excellent. Between the =
team on=20
earth and the crew there was some confusion about which floppydisk with =
the BDD=20
program had to be used. Was it BDD nr. 1 or 3? They showed each other =
the disks=20
they had and the texts on these disks were clearly readable. The people =
behind=20
the keyboards and screen in Oberpfaffenhofen also could be seen. =
Musabayev=20
showed the screen of a laptop, with data of the BDD program. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</P>
<P align=3Djustify>The Altair-2 window for BDD use was open until =
1440UTC and=20
exactly at that moment the Bears lake people aimed the antennae again in =
their=20
own direction and the signal became weaker and for some minutes it was =
difficult=20
to understand what Musabayev said. After a while Musabayev switched over =
to the=20
phone mode and all was as before. So the antenna manoeuvre did not harm =
the=20
satellite. (Thusfar I do not know the cause of the failure of Altair-1 =
in 1997.=20
During the MIR-97 period Altair-1 came in a so called sun-pointing =
attitude.=20
Whether this had something to with the antenna manoeuvres or with the =
age of the=20
satellite is still a question for me.)</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>During the rest of this week more BDD operations are =
planned.=20
(Experiments executed by experts on earth without interfering by the =
crew, for=20
instance with the Titus furnace, and data-transmission activities.)</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Chris van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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