Subject: mirnews.429
From: "C.M. vd Berg" <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 29 Jun 1998 04:08:00 -0400 (EDT)

Dit is een meerdelig bericht in MIME-indeling.

------=_NextPart_000_000D_01BDA345.692141A0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

MIRNEWS.429                                                              =
28 JUNE 1998

Uncertainty: For the time being the fate of  MIR is uncertain. The =
cosmonauts on board MIR hoped to get information about  the results of =
meetings on earth about the exploitation of MIR for the very near =
future.  A meeting about this subject planned for last week has been put =
back until 2.07.1998.  At this meeting a commission or group of experts =
will discuss the serious problems due to the lack of money for the =
present MIR exploitation and future operations.  RKK Energiya  did not =
receive the promised money badly needed this year and if this allotment =
will not be transferred soon, there are no means for the launch of   =
Soyuz-TM28 with the relief crew for the present expediton. Possibly the =
meeting on 2.07.1998 will draft an ultimatum to the Kremlin:   if the =
Kremlin fails to transfer the needed amount,  another meeting will take =
place in  mid July to discuss the termination of MIR's exploitation and =
to plan the operation to bring the station back into the atmosphere for =
decay later this year. =20

The present uncertainty phase is unpleasant for the cosmonauts. On =
19.06.98 Musabayev spoke with Baturin,  who is still training for his =
flight to MIR  with Soyuz-TM28, together with the crew for the next =
(26th) MIR Main Expedition.  Musabayev wished Baturin a good flight and =
said that he hoped to meet him soon on board MIR. Baturin, a former =
spaceflight constructor  and an advisor of Yeltsin,  was selected for a =
flight to MIR for political reasons,  but regretfully   Yeltsin  sacked =
him due to  measures of economy.

Apart from asking questions about the developments the cosmonauts do not =
say much about the present situation, but it is clear that their mood is =
far below the desired level.  This could repeatedly be derived from =
conversations between the crew and TsUP.  Especially Musabayev, a man =
with a stable   character and in fact a humorist  who likes to laugh a =
lot, regularly looses his temper. =20

MIR-routine:  Nevertheless Musabayev and Budarin continue to run the =
station as good as possible. They performed a number of repairs and were =
busy with a series of experiments.  Last week they spent a lot of time =
to mend the defective Elektron oxygen generator  in Kvant-1 for which =
they used parts of the Elektron in Module-D.  A few times they did not =
succeed, but on 25.06 the Elektron worked well for 6 hours.  On 26.06 =
the crew replaced a part of the Antares transmitter (for communications =
via Altair-2) and obviously they succeeded, for on 28.06 the transmitter =
was in use for a televised  family meeting. Later on Musabayev reported =
that he had replaced the transmitter.=20

Experiments: In coordination with American experts the cosmonauts =
continued the use of the Optizon furnace for melting processes. The =
Gallar furnace was also used.  There were a lot of medical experiments, =
especially aimed at the cardio-vascular systems, Regularly they reported =
about experiments like Cardio, Holter and  (the Dutch)  Portapress.=20
They also worked on astrophysical experiments. The crew reactivated the =
spectrometer Mariya in Kvant-1 to study electromagnetic processes in the =
upper layers of the earth's atmosphere. They also carried out radiation =
measurements outside the complex along MIR's trajectory.  Experiments =
located in the Priroda module were also discussed, i.e. MOMS, Ozon and =
Alisa.=20
=20
=20
Planning: The last report about the launch of the Soyuz-TM28 with the =
relief crew Padalka and Avdeyev, and the politician Baturin, was about =
putting back this mission with 1 day for ballistic reasons.  The launch =
is now scheduled for 3.08.1998 and the rendez-vous with MIR for 5.08.98. =
 To free the aft (+X axis) docking port of MIR the Progress-M38 has to =
undock from there on 4.08 for an autonomous flight.  After the departure =
of S-TM27 the new transport ship S-TM28 has to be redocked to the =
forward (-X-axis) port. From that moment on the aft docking port is free =
for the redocking of the Pr-M38.  This cargo ship has to remain docked =
to MIR, for the next one, Pr-M39,  will not arrive before September =
1998.=20
This all with due reserve, for important decisions  regarding MIR's =
immediate fate have to be made.

 If Padalka, Avdeyev and Baturin will fly, their call  will be Altair.=20
=20
 Chris van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202=20
=20

------=_NextPart_000_000D_01BDA345.692141A0
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">
<HTML>
<HEAD>

<META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.71.1712.3"' name=3DGENERATOR>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>MIRNEWS.429&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb=
sp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
28 JUNE 1998</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Uncertainty: For the =
time being the=20
fate of&nbsp; MIR is uncertain. The cosmonauts on board MIR hoped to get =

information about&nbsp; the results of meetings on earth about the =
exploitation=20
of MIR for the very near future.&nbsp; A meeting about this subject =
planned for=20
last week has been put back until 2.07.1998.&nbsp; At this meeting a =
commission=20
or group of experts will discuss the serious problems due to the lack of =
money=20
for the present MIR exploitation and future operations.&nbsp; RKK =
Energiya&nbsp;=20
did not receive the promised money badly needed this year and if this =
allotment=20
will not be transferred soon, there are no means for the launch =
of&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
Soyuz-TM28 with the relief crew for the present expediton. Possibly the =
meeting=20
on 2.07.1998 will draft an ultimatum to the Kremlin:&nbsp;&nbsp; if the =
Kremlin=20
fails to transfer the needed amount,&nbsp; another meeting will take =
place=20
in&nbsp; mid July to discuss the termination of MIR's exploitation and =
to plan=20
the operation to bring the station back into the atmosphere for decay =
later this=20
year.&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>The present uncertainty =
phase is=20
unpleasant for the cosmonauts. On 19.06.98 Musabayev spoke with =
Baturin,&nbsp;=20
who is still training for his flight to MIR&nbsp; with Soyuz-TM28, =
together with=20
the crew for the next (26th) MIR Main Expedition.&nbsp; Musabayev wished =
Baturin=20
a good flight and said that he hoped to meet him soon on board MIR. =
Baturin, a=20
former spaceflight constructor&nbsp; and an advisor of Yeltsin,&nbsp; =
was=20
selected for a flight to MIR for political reasons,&nbsp; but=20
regretfully&nbsp;&nbsp; Yeltsin&nbsp; sacked him due to&nbsp; measures =
of=20
economy.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Apart from asking =
questions about the=20
developments the cosmonauts do not say much about the present situation, =
but it=20
is clear that their mood is far below the desired level.&nbsp; This =
could=20
repeatedly be derived from conversations between the crew and =
TsUP.&nbsp;=20
Especially Musabayev, a man with a stable&nbsp;&nbsp; character and in =
fact a=20
humorist&nbsp; who likes to laugh a lot, regularly looses his =
temper.&nbsp;=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>MIR-routine:&nbsp; =
Nevertheless=20
Musabayev and Budarin continue to run the station as good as possible. =
They=20
performed a number of repairs and were busy with a series of =
experiments.&nbsp;=20
Last week they spent a lot of time to mend the defective Elektron oxygen =

generator&nbsp; in Kvant-1 for which they used parts of the Elektron in=20
Module-D.&nbsp; A few times they did not succeed, but on 25.06 the =
Elektron=20
worked well for 6 hours.&nbsp; On 26.06 the crew replaced a part of the =
Antares=20
transmitter (for communications via Altair-2) and obviously they =
succeeded, for=20
on 28.06 the transmitter was in use for a televised&nbsp; family =
meeting. Later=20
on Musabayev reported that he had replaced the transmitter. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Experiments: In =
coordination with=20
American experts the cosmonauts continued the use of the Optizon furnace =
for=20
melting processes. The Gallar furnace was also used.&nbsp; There were a =
lot of=20
medical experiments, especially aimed at the cardio-vascular systems, =
Regularly=20
they reported about experiments like Cardio, Holter and&nbsp; (the =
Dutch)&nbsp;=20
Portapress. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>They also worked on =
astrophysical=20
experiments. The crew reactivated the spectrometer Mariya in Kvant-1 to =
study=20
electromagnetic processes in the upper layers of the earth's atmosphere. =
They=20
also carried out radiation measurements outside the complex along MIR's=20
trajectory.&nbsp; Experiments located in the Priroda module were also =
discussed,=20
i.e. MOMS, Ozon and Alisa. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;<BR>Planning: The =
last report=20
about the launch of the Soyuz-TM28 with the relief crew Padalka and =
Avdeyev, and=20
the politician Baturin, was about putting back this mission with 1 day =
for=20
ballistic reasons.&nbsp; The launch is now scheduled for 3.08.1998 and =
the=20
rendez-vous with MIR for 5.08.98.&nbsp; To free the aft (+X axis) =
docking port=20
of MIR the Progress-M38 has to undock from there on 4.08 for an =
autonomous=20
flight.&nbsp; After the departure of S-TM27 the new transport ship =
S-TM28 has to=20
be redocked to the forward (-X-axis) port. From that moment on the aft =
docking=20
port is free for the redocking of the Pr-M38.&nbsp; This cargo ship has =
to=20
remain docked to MIR, for the next one, Pr-M39,&nbsp; will not arrive =
before=20
September 1998. </FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>This all with due =
reserve, for=20
important decisions&nbsp; regarding MIR's immediate fate have to be=20
made.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;If Padalka, =
Avdeyev and Baturin=20
will fly, their call&nbsp; will be Altair. <BR> <BR> Chris van den Berg, =

NL-9165/A-UK3202 </FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial =
size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_000D_01BDA345.692141A0--