Subject: mirnews.447
From: "C.M. vd Berg" <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 5 Dec 1998 08:44:01 -0500 (EST)

Dit is een meerdelig bericht in MIME-indeling.

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=20
MIRNEWS.447                                                              =
        4 DECEMBER  1998

MIR-routine: The fact that spacestation MIR was still alive was fully =
overshadowed by the enormous publicity avalanche at the outset of =
International Spacestation.  Sometimes comments about the ISS even =
suggested that nothing had happened between the Skylab and the Unity.=20
=20
After the   Spacewalk (EVA) of the MIR crew in the night from 10 to =
11.11.1998  there were no special operations to report and the Leonid =
meteorite rain around 17.11.98  did not bring the expected sensation  =
which  astronomers promised  us.  In the period for which the =
astronomers predicted the highest density the crew were on board of the =
transportship Soyuz-TM28. Your scribe decided to remain on duty to be =
sure of  the most reliable monitoring of downlink traffic via the ships =
channel 121.750 mc.  The radiosilence was complete and after 3 passes =
and long periods of gazing into the universe he decided to do what the =
cosmonauts obviously already had done: to go  to  sleep.=20

Quite a difference with the Perseid rain around 12.08.1993, when =
Tsibliyev and Serebrov had to observe and count the flashes.   The high =
rate of flashes made counting impossible. Tsibliyev reported a number of =
'hits' and the fact that the station had suffered war-injuries.=20
=20
So  MIR is still alive and all is going well with the 26st Main =
Expedition.  The cosmonauts worked on a lot of experimental programs in =
the well known fields: In the astrophysical field they worked with the =
rontgenspectrometer Buket (to determine the radiation conditions, for =
instance gamma radiation along MIR-s trajectory) and the magnetic =
spectrometer Mariya to measure neutron streams and to study the earth's =
ionosphere.  The altitude of the MIR-complex gradually decreases which =
enables them to study the differences in condition of several layers of =
the ionosphere.  In the geophysical field the Lidar Alisa was used for =
remote sensing of areas in Siberia.=20

With the Optizon furnace melting experiments were executed.  The =
cosmonauts performed biological experiments (the growth of plants) with =
the greenhouse Svet. =20

Among the technical activities were checks of measurement instruments, =
the functioning of the water- and oxygensystems,  and  the study of the =
performance of a solar battery outside the Kristall module, which had =
been installed during the last EVA.=20

The crew also spent some time looking  for  hard- and software for the =
French Pegasus expedition in 1999.  A part of this equipment and =
programs was delivered to MIR by the freighter Progress-M40.=20

Decreasing apogee and perigee of MIR's orbit:  The natural drag causes a =
decrease of MIR's altitude by a couple of 100 Meters every day. On =
21.09.98 ap/per were resp. 370 and 360 KM;  on 3.12.1998 these values =
were 358.1 KM and 347.7 KM. =20

Chris van den Berg, NL-91165/A-UK3202

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<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>&nbsp;<BR>MIRNEWS.447&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
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bsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb=
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&nbsp;=20
4 DECEMBER&nbsp; 1998</FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>MIR-routine: The fact =
that=20
spacestation MIR was still alive was fully overshadowed by the enormous=20
publicity avalanche at the outset of International Spacestation.&nbsp; =
Sometimes=20
comments about the ISS even suggested that nothing had happened between =
the=20
Skylab and the Unity.&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>After the&nbsp;&nbsp; =
Spacewalk (EVA)=20
of the MIR crew in the night from 10 to 11.11.1998&nbsp; there were no =
special=20
operations to report and the Leonid meteorite rain around 17.11.98&nbsp; =
did not=20
bring the expected sensation&nbsp; which&nbsp; astronomers =
promised&nbsp;=20
us.&nbsp; In the period for which the astronomers predicted the highest =
density=20
the crew were on board of the transportship Soyuz-TM28. Your scribe =
decided to=20
remain on duty to be sure of&nbsp; the most reliable monitoring of =
downlink=20
traffic via the ships channel 121.750 mc.&nbsp; The radiosilence was =
complete=20
and after 3 passes and long periods of gazing into the universe he =
decided to do=20
what the cosmonauts obviously already had done: to go&nbsp; to&nbsp; =
sleep.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Quite a difference with =
the Perseid=20
rain around 12.08.1993, when Tsibliyev and Serebrov had to observe and =
count the=20
flashes.&nbsp;&nbsp; The high rate of flashes made counting impossible.=20
Tsibliyev reported a number of 'hits' and the fact that the station had =
suffered=20
war-injuries.&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>So&nbsp; MIR is still =
alive and all=20
is going well with the 26st Main Expedition.&nbsp; The cosmonauts worked =
on a=20
lot of experimental programs in the well known fields: In the =
astrophysical=20
field they worked with the rontgenspectrometer Buket (to determine the =
radiation=20
conditions, for instance gamma radiation along MIR-s trajectory) and the =

magnetic spectrometer Mariya to measure neutron streams and to study the =
earth's=20
ionosphere.&nbsp; The altitude of the MIR-complex gradually decreases =
which=20
enables them to study the differences in condition of several layers of =
the=20
ionosphere.&nbsp; In the geophysical field the Lidar Alisa was used for =
remote=20
sensing of areas in Siberia. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2><BR>With the Optizon =
furnace melting=20
experiments were executed.&nbsp; The cosmonauts performed biological =
experiments=20
(the growth of plants) with the greenhouse Svet.&nbsp; =
</FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2><BR>Among the technical =
activities=20
were checks of measurement instruments, the functioning of the water- =
and=20
oxygensystems,&nbsp; and&nbsp; the study of the performance of a solar =
battery=20
outside the Kristall module, which had been installed during the last =
EVA.=20
</FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>The crew also spent =
some time=20
looking&nbsp; for&nbsp; hard- and software for the French Pegasus =
expedition in=20
1999.&nbsp; A part of this equipment and programs was delivered to MIR =
by the=20
freighter Progress-M40. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Decreasing apogee and =
perigee of=20
MIR's orbit:&nbsp; The natural drag causes a decrease of MIR's altitude =
by a=20
couple of 100 Meters every day. On 21.09.98 ap/per were resp. 370 and =
360=20
KM;&nbsp; on 3.12.1998 these values were 358.1 KM and 347.7 KM.&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>Chris van den Berg,=20
NL-91165/A-UK3202</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>

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