Subject: mirnews.423
From: "C.M. vd Berg" <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 31 May 1998 11:50:58 -0400 (EDT)

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MIRNEWS.423 31 MAY 1998

MIR-routine: After the docking of Pr-M39 at MIR the cosmonauts started =
the unloading of that freighter while Andy Thomas already started the =
packing of approx. 30 bags with things which will go to Earth with the =
Discovery. Andy also tried to accomplish some of his experiments. Passes =
for our position took place during the night hours. The crew also used =
the Altair-2 geostationary satellite for phone- and TV-communications in =
which interviews and private conversations, for instance Andy with his =
relatives and Musabayev with the Kazakh ambassador in Moscow. On =
19.05.1998 Altair-2 was used for a so called tele-bridge between MIR and =
the communications centre Burum (in the Dutch province Fryslan) with =
pupils from a grammarschool in the city of Groningen. Communications =
started long after the scheduled time, but the cosmonauts and the =
children very much enjoyed the happening.=20

The crew continued medical, and other experiments. Andy had to undergo =
an extensive test of his cardio-vascular system in relation to his =
oncoming return into earth-gravity conditions. Musabayev took care for =
the proper connections of sensors and the right commands in coordination =
with a lady-specialist on earth.=20

Now and then minor technical problems with the lifesupport systems and =
power supply (a malfunctioning accumulator in Module-D) emerged during =
radio-conversations. The crew solved all problems and nothing seemed to =
hamper the STS-91 mission so far.=20

Regularly there were problems with the exchange of radiograms by Packet =
Radio and often the crew had to fall back on the old RTTY =
(radio-teletype system), even via Altair-2. Obviously not all Russian =
tracking stations can handle Packet Radio. Often the crew relies on the =
tracking facility Petropavlovsk Kamchatka for Packet Radio links.=20

Now and then the crew speaks about the BDD (Betriebstechnik Deutschland =
Direkt). This system enables European scientists to execute experiments =
directly via Altair-2 without interference of the Russians. This is =
possible via the DLR trackingstation Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich =
(Germany). Possibly the experiments with this system have been suspended =
or concluded. Sigmund Jaehn, the former DDR cosmonaut and now a DLR =
employee so far acted as coordinator of that system.=20

During one of the sessions via Altair-2 Musabayev asked TsUP to forward =
a request to Houston. The guitar, which was delivered to MIR by =
Progress-M39 was a present for him from his fellow-countrymen. He would =
like to take the guitar back to earth, but that is impossible with the =
Soyuz-TM27. So he hopes to get late permission to send the guitar to =
earth with the Discovery. Whether he got this permission or not is not =
known yet. The room for cargo in Discovery this time is also very =
limited (single instead of a double Spacehab module).=20

Failure of attitude control computer: After a very long time this =
problem again disturbed the Russians. On Saturday, 30.05.98, this =
computer failed, causing the well-known chain reaction, i.e. =
deterioration of the proper angles of sunlight on the solarpanels, the =
reduction of power-supply, and so on.=20

The crew had to use the attitude control possibilities of the Soyuz-TM27 =
to correct the station=92s attitude as efficient as possible to regain a =
part of the needed power-supply.=20

This happened during my absence and when I came home late Saturday night =
I heard that something was wrong during a nightly pass. Regretfully I =
missed the previous passes for using my time-switch had been impossible: =
the meteo-office had predicted heavy thunderstorms. After all my =
precautions had been superfluous for the bad weather did not reach my =
position.=20

On 31.05.1998 the crew replaced the attitude control computer and =
started tests.=20

At deadline for this report I had no further information.=20

Expected launchtime Discovery for Mission STS-91: Still scheduled for =
2.06.1998 at about 2210UTC. At deadline for this report there was still =
=91go=92 for this launch. If so it is worthwhile for listeners in =
Western-Europe to listen between 2225 and 2235UTC on the airtraffic =
control frequency 259.700 mc (AM-wide). At this moment the shuttle does =
not have the possibility to use the TDRS and traffic with Houston is =
possible via a tracking station in Spain.=20

Here some old news for the statistics:=20

Progress-M38: This old freighter separated from MIR on 15.05.1998 at =
1841UTC. (So 3 minutes earlier than reported in MIRNEWS.422). The =
original plan to maintain Pr-M38 in orbit until the safe docking of =
Pr-M39 had been abandoned. Progress-M38 entered the dense layers of the =
atmosphere on 16.05.98 at 2220UTC and decayed over a designated area in =
the Pacific East of New Zealand.=20

Chris van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.=20

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<P align=3Djustify>MIRNEWS.423 31 MAY 1998</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>MIR-routine: After the docking of Pr-M39 at MIR the =
cosmonauts=20
started the unloading of that freighter while Andy Thomas already =
started the=20
packing of approx. 30 bags with things which will go to Earth with the=20
Discovery. Andy also tried to accomplish some of his experiments. Passes =
for our=20
position took place during the night hours. The crew also used the =
Altair-2=20
geostationary satellite for phone- and TV-communications in which =
interviews and=20
private conversations, for instance Andy with his relatives and =
Musabayev with=20
the Kazakh ambassador in Moscow. On 19.05.1998 Altair-2 was used for a =
so called=20
tele-bridge between MIR and the communications centre Burum (in the =
Dutch=20
province Fryslan) with pupils from a grammarschool in the city of =
Groningen.=20
Communications started long after the scheduled time, but the cosmonauts =
and the=20
children very much enjoyed the happening. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>The crew continued medical, and other experiments. =
Andy had to=20
undergo an extensive test of his cardio-vascular system in relation to =
his=20
oncoming return into earth-gravity conditions. Musabayev took care for =
the=20
proper connections of sensors and the right commands in coordination =
with a=20
lady-specialist on earth. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Now and then minor technical problems with the =
lifesupport=20
systems and power supply (a malfunctioning accumulator in Module-D) =
emerged=20
during radio-conversations. The crew solved all problems and nothing =
seemed to=20
hamper the STS-91 mission so far. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Regularly there were problems with the exchange of =
radiograms=20
by Packet Radio and often the crew had to fall back on the old RTTY=20
(radio-teletype system), even via Altair-2. Obviously not all Russian =
tracking=20
stations can handle Packet Radio. Often the crew relies on the tracking =
facility=20
Petropavlovsk Kamchatka for Packet Radio links. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Now and then the crew speaks about the BDD =
(Betriebstechnik=20
Deutschland Direkt). This system enables European scientists to execute=20
experiments directly via Altair-2 without interference of the Russians. =
This is=20
possible via the DLR trackingstation Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich =
(Germany).=20
Possibly the experiments with this system have been suspended or =
concluded.=20
Sigmund Jaehn, the former DDR cosmonaut and now a DLR employee so far =
acted as=20
coordinator of that system. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>During one of the sessions via Altair-2 Musabayev =
asked TsUP to=20
forward a request to Houston. The guitar, which was delivered to MIR by=20
Progress-M39 was a present for him from his fellow-countrymen. He would =
like to=20
take the guitar back to earth, but that is impossible with the =
Soyuz-TM27. So he=20
hopes to get late permission to send the guitar to earth with the =
Discovery.=20
Whether he got this permission or not is not known yet. The room for =
cargo in=20
Discovery this time is also very limited (single instead of a double =
Spacehab=20
module). </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Failure of attitude control computer: After a very =
long time=20
this problem again disturbed the Russians. On Saturday, 30.05.98, this =
computer=20
failed, causing the well-known chain reaction, i.e. deterioration of the =
proper=20
angles of sunlight on the solarpanels, the reduction of power-supply, =
and so on.=20
</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</P>
<P align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</P>
<P align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</P>
<P align=3Djustify>The crew had to use the attitude control =
possibilities of the=20
Soyuz-TM27 to correct the station&rsquo;s attitude as efficient as =
possible to=20
regain a part of the needed power-supply. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>This happened during my absence and when I came home =
late=20
Saturday night I heard that something was wrong during a nightly pass.=20
Regretfully I missed the previous passes for using my time-switch had =
been=20
impossible: the meteo-office had predicted heavy thunderstorms. After =
all my=20
precautions had been superfluous for the bad weather did not reach my =
position.=20
</P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>On 31.05.1998 the crew replaced the attitude control =
computer=20
and started tests. </P>
<P align=3Djustify>At deadline for this report I had no further =
information. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Expected launchtime Discovery for Mission STS-91: =
Still=20
scheduled for 2.06.1998 at about 2210UTC. At deadline for this report =
there was=20
still &lsquo;go&rsquo; for this launch. If so it is worthwhile for =
listeners in=20
Western-Europe to listen between 2225 and 2235UTC on the airtraffic =
control=20
frequency 259.700 mc (AM-wide). At this moment the shuttle does not have =
the=20
possibility to use the TDRS and traffic with Houston is possible via a =
tracking=20
station in Spain. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Here some old news for the statistics: </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>Progress-M38: This old freighter separated from MIR =
on=20
15.05.1998 at 1841UTC. (So 3 minutes earlier than reported in =
MIRNEWS.422). The=20
original plan to maintain Pr-M38 in orbit until the safe docking of =
Pr-M39 had=20
been abandoned. Progress-M38 entered the dense layers of the atmosphere =
on=20
16.05.98 at 2220UTC and decayed over a designated area in the Pacific =
East of=20
New Zealand. </P>
<P align=3Djustify></P>
<P align=3Djustify>&nbsp;</P>
<P align=3Djustify>Chris van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202. </P>
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