Subject: Fw: mirnews.450
From: "C.M. vd Berg" <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 Jan 1999 18:45:57 -0500 (EST)

Dit is een meerdelig bericht in MIME-indeling.

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MIRNEWS.450                                                     15 =
JANUARY 1999
=20
Turn of the year:
=20
In the night from 31.12.98 to 1.01.1999 the  geostationary Luch-1/Gelios =
was regularly in use for special meetings with authorities,  family and =
friends. The arrangements for these sessions had been  made via the main =
VHF channel.  On 1.01.1999 Avdeyev celebrated his birthday.   In my =
opinion he deserves a place in the Guinness book of records, for he =
already did this twice  before during missions on board of the =
MIR-spacestation.=20
=20
Technical problems: in the period after the last MIR-report only a few =
technical problems were reported.  Now and then the crew got orders to =
economize the power consumption due to malfunctioning accumulator =
batteries. So they had to switch off the BKV-3 (a.c.) and once, when =
they were about to use the Titus oven, they had to switch off the =
Elektron oxygen generator in Module-D. Regularly they spoke about =
maintenance and repair work in the Modules-D, T and I.  Around =
14.01.1999 the cosmonauts replaced a unit in the Antares (the =
transmitter for relays via the geostationary satellite).
=20
Electromagnetic fields:    The crew worked on a kind of inventarisation =
of the intensity and  possible interferences or disturbances caused by =
electromagnetic fields produced by equipment in the living quarters of =
MIR's baseblock.=20

Experiments:   A great deal was similar to those in previous reports.  =
In general again experiments in the geophysical, biological, =
astrophysical, technological and medical fields. =20
=20
 Again the geophysical experiments with the Ionozond for the study of =
the ionosphere of earth and the propagation of radiowaves in space, and =
a study for the prediction of earthquakes. And   remote sensing of the =
earth's surface  with Alisa in the Module Priroda to make =
spectrographical images of the continents, water reservoirs and the =
ocean  bottom at great depths   and of clouds. =20
=20
In the technological field the furnaces, for instance Titus and a =
furnace with sections Onyx-1 and 2, were in use for melting and other =
experiments.=20
=20
Astrophysical equipment was used for the study of electrical charged =
particles.=20

Medical experiments consisted of checks during exercises by the =
cosmonauts on the hometrainer and the treadmill.  They also worked with =
a device for the electrical stimulations of the muscles during =
exercises. =20
=20
Communications:  In this period MIR is passing during the nighthours and =
so there is almost no traffic via the VHF channels during passes within =
my range.  For Packet Radio the 145.985 mc radio amateur frequency is =
still in use. Now and then the SSTV modulation can be heard on this =
frequency.=20
=20
=20
=20
Znamya-2.5: The experiment with the solar reflector from Progress-M40 =
will take place on 4.02.1999.=20

Soyuz-TM29:  The launch of this transportship with the crew of the 27th =
Main Expedition and the French spacionaute  is scheduled for 20.02.1999. =
 =20
=20
Eventual extension of MIR's operational life:=20
=20
Inspite of the increasing rumours, which also are getting stronger,  the =
fate of MIR is still unsure.    The Head of the R.K.A. Koptev did not =
yet sign the documents about the program after June 1999,  which are =
already lying on his desk.  Thusfar the Russian government failed to =
give a financial guarantee  demanded by an unknow enterprise which is =
willing to invest  in the prolongation of MIR's operational existance.=20
=20
For those yearning for such an extension encouraging news:   To remain =
on the safe side the Russians already have crews for the period after =
June 1999.=20
 =20
Main crew: Zalyotin/Kaleri,   stand in crew: Sharipov/Vinogradov. =20
=20
And:
Possibly the French mission will be extended until August 1999. So  6  =
months instead of 3.=20
=20

C.M. van den  Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202

=20

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<META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-5 =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type><!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 =
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</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;</FONT><FONT =
face=3DArial=20
size=3D2><BR>&nbsp;</DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>MIRNEWS.450&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;=20
15 JANUARY 1999</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Turn of the =
year:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>In the night from =
31.12.98 to=20
1.01.1999 the&nbsp; geostationary Luch-1/Gelios was regularly in use for =
special=20
meetings with authorities,&nbsp; family and friends. The arrangements =
for these=20
sessions had been&nbsp; made via the main VHF channel.&nbsp; On =
1.01.1999=20
Avdeyev celebrated his birthday.&nbsp;&nbsp; In my opinion he deserves a =
place=20
in the Guinness book of records, for he already did this twice&nbsp; =
before=20
during missions on board of the MIR-spacestation. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Technical problems: in =
the period=20
after the last MIR-report only a few technical problems were =
reported.&nbsp; Now=20
and then the crew got orders to economize the power consumption due to=20
malfunctioning accumulator batteries. So they had to switch off the =
BKV-3 (a.c.)=20
and once, when they were about to use the Titus oven, they had to switch =
off the=20
Elektron oxygen generator in Module-D. Regularly they spoke about =
maintenance=20
and repair work in the Modules-D, T and I.&nbsp; Around 14.01.1999 the=20
cosmonauts replaced a unit in the Antares (the transmitter for relays =
via the=20
geostationary satellite).</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Electromagnetic=20
fields:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The crew worked on a kind of inventarisation =
of the=20
intensity and&nbsp; possible interferences or disturbances caused by=20
electromagnetic fields produced by equipment in the living quarters of =
MIR's=20
baseblock. <BR><BR>Experiments:&nbsp;&nbsp; A great deal was similar to =
those in=20
previous reports.&nbsp; In general again experiments in the geophysical, =

biological, astrophysical, technological and medical fields. =
</FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;Again the =
geophysical=20
experiments with the Ionozond for the study of the ionosphere of earth =
and the=20
propagation of radiowaves in space, and a study for the prediction of=20
earthquakes. And&nbsp;&nbsp; remote sensing of the earth's surface&nbsp; =
with=20
Alisa in the Module Priroda to make spectrographical images of the =
continents,=20
water reservoirs and the ocean&nbsp; bottom at great depths&nbsp;&nbsp; =
and of=20
clouds.&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>In the technological =
field the=20
furnaces, for instance Titus and a furnace with sections Onyx-1 and 2, =
were in=20
use for melting and other experiments. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Astrophysical equipment =
was used for=20
the study of electrical charged particles. <BR><BR>Medical experiments =
consisted=20
of checks during exercises by the cosmonauts on the hometrainer and the=20
treadmill.&nbsp; They also worked with a device for the electrical =
stimulations=20
of the muscles during exercises. </FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Communications:&nbsp; =
In this period=20
MIR is passing during the nighthours and so there is almost no traffic =
via the=20
VHF channels during passes within my range.&nbsp; For Packet Radio the =
145.985=20
mc radio amateur frequency is still in use. Now and then the SSTV =
modulation can=20
be heard on this frequency. <BR></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>Znamya-2.5: The =
experiment with the=20
solar reflector from Progress-M40 will take place on 4.02.1999. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2><BR>Soyuz-TM29:&nbsp; =
The launch of=20
this transportship with the crew of the 27th Main Expedition and the =
French=20
spacionaute&nbsp; is scheduled for 20.02.1999.&nbsp; </FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Eventual extension of =
MIR's=20
operational life: </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Inspite of the =
increasing rumours,=20
which also are getting stronger,&nbsp; the fate of MIR is still=20
unsure.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Head of the R.K.A. Koptev did not yet sign =
the=20
documents about the program after June 1999,&nbsp; which are already =
lying on=20
his desk.&nbsp; Thusfar the Russian government failed to give a =
financial=20
guarantee&nbsp; demanded by an unknow enterprise which is willing to=20
invest&nbsp; in the prolongation of MIR's operational existance. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>For those yearning for =
such an=20
extension encouraging news:&nbsp;&nbsp; To remain on the safe side the =
Russians=20
already have crews for the period after June 1999. <BR>&nbsp; <BR>Main =
crew:=20
Zalyotin/Kaleri,&nbsp;&nbsp; stand in crew: Sharipov/Vinogradov.=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>And:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Possibly the French =
mission will be=20
extended until August 1999. So&nbsp; 6&nbsp; months instead of 3. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>C.M. van den&nbsp; =
Berg,=20
NL-9165/A-UK3202</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial =
size=3D2><BR></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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