Subject: mirnews.471
From: "C.M. vd Berg" <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 1999 10:21:40 -0500 (EST)

Dit is een meerdelig bericht in MIME-indeling.

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MIRNEWS.471                                                           6  =
DECEMBER 1999

MIR: ESHCHO V ZHIVYKH:

Though I have no longer a direct 'entry' on board of the =
MIR-spacestation, there is still a lot to report.  Every day the orbit =
of the complex looses a few hundred meters and the station is loosing a =
little bit of air. Confirmation that MIR is still alive can be derived =
from the fact that during some passes every day the telemetry can be =
monitored via the 638, 166 and 165 mc bands.  I did not yet find the key =
to decypher those rattles.  Regretfully the famous  World War-2 =
Enigma-code crackers of Bletchley Park near London cannot help any more. =
Good sources, which have insight in that what the telemetry has to =
report, told me that all is going reasonable well. The complex is still =
flying in free drift and slowly spinning around the X- and Y-axes with =
an angular speed of 0.15  degrees/sec.  If needed the B.U.P.O. can be =
activated to control the movements of the complex with the use of =
steering rockets and the external thruster VDU.  It is also possible to =
use the steering devices of the freighter Progress-M42 for that purpose. =
This freighter can also be used to correct the orbit of the complex. =
This might take place one of these days, even already today.  At about =
1.12.1999 the per/ap were respectively 322.3 and 325.9KM. The data TsUP =
derived from telemetry about the thermoregulation, the humidity, the =
power supply (accumulator batteries loaded by some solar panels) and =
about the already mentioned attitude show no anomalies.  The slow but =
gradual loss of air pressure still gives concern. On high level =
especially the head of RAKA, Koptev, uses  this problem as an argument =
against the eventual prolongation of the MIR-exploitation. =20

MIR's fate in 2000 still unsure:  In the field of the policy makers for =
MIR's future  2 huge organisations have totally opposite points of view. =
These organisations are the RAKA (so: the Russian NASA) and MIR's owner =
RKK Energiya. Recently RKK Energiya got support from the Duma. The Duma =
gave permission to use  money earned from spaceflight activities and for =
which Russia is the rightful claimant, so no money from the public =
treasury.  RKK Energiya is hoping for the American project to use  an =
electro-dynamic tether as a counter action to surpress the natural drag. =
To make this possible the project has to be realised by attaching the 7 =
KM long tether at the Kristall module during an EVA by cosmonauts.=20
=20
Koptev, however, has another opinion.  He states that every rubel which =
can be used for Russian spaceflight has to be invested in the Russian =
obligations  for the International Space Station. He is responsible that =
Russia fulfils her promises in international cooperation.   Russia's =
contribution to the ISS is the only way to survive as one of the =
greatest spaceflight nations in the world.  In his opinion it is not =
realistic to exploit MIR for   1 or 2 years more and thus loosing =
influence in the development of   ISS. He also warns for the dangers =
which an uncontrolled MIR-complex might mean for humanity. He emphasizes =
that  the mysterious leakage of air makes further exploitation =
irresponsible.=20

Reasonable reliable assessments based on information from good sources:

There is still hope, but the promised funding by the Duma is far from =
sure.  In this respect there has not been  a single officially confirmed =
 action in that respect.=20

There are still tentative  plans for the beginning of 2000, which would =
make it necessary to raise MIR's orbit by a Progress.  Towards the end =
of January 2000 (perhaps on 24.01.2000) the  tanker Progress-M1 will be =
launched to MIR. This tanker can be used to put the complex on the final =
destruction course into the atmosphere for decay over the designated =
area East of New Zealand.=20
=20
The Russians hope to send Main Expedition 28 (Zalyotin and Kaleri) to =
MIR in April 2000. Definitely without the movie  actor Steklov. This =
mission will last 2 months.=20
=20
 Chris van den  Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202

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<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000=20
size=3D2>MIRNEWS.471&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;=20
6&nbsp; DECEMBER 1999</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>MIR: ESHCHO V ZHIVYKH:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Though I have no longer a direct =
'entry' on=20
board of the MIR-spacestation, there is still a lot to report.&nbsp; =
Every day=20
the orbit of the complex looses a few hundred meters and the station is =
loosing=20
a little bit of air. Confirmation that MIR is still alive can be derived =
from=20
the fact that during some passes every day the telemetry can be =
monitored via=20
the 638, 166 and 165 mc bands.&nbsp; I did not yet find the key to =
decypher=20
those rattles.&nbsp; Regretfully the famous&nbsp; World War-2 =
Enigma-code=20
crackers of Bletchley Park near London cannot help any more. Good =
sources, which=20
have insight in that what the telemetry has to report, told me that all =
is going=20
reasonable well. The complex is still flying in free drift and slowly =
spinning=20
around the X- and Y-axes with an angular speed of 0.15&nbsp; =
degrees/sec.&nbsp;=20
If needed the B.U.P.O. can be activated to control the movements of the =
complex=20
with the use of steering rockets and the external thruster VDU.&nbsp; It =
is also=20
possible to use the steering devices of the freighter Progress-M42 for =
that=20
purpose. This freighter can also be used to correct the orbit of the =
complex.=20
This might take place one of these days, even already today.&nbsp; At =
about=20
1.12.1999 the per/ap were respectively 322.3 and 325.9KM. The data TsUP =
derived=20
from telemetry about the thermoregulation, the humidity, the power =
supply=20
(accumulator batteries loaded by some solar panels) and about the =
already=20
mentioned attitude show no anomalies.&nbsp; The slow but gradual loss of =
air=20
pressure still gives concern. On high level especially the head of RAKA, =
Koptev,=20
uses&nbsp; this problem as an argument against the eventual prolongation =
of the=20
MIR-exploitation.&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>MIR's fate in 2000 still =
unsure:&nbsp; In the=20
field of the policy makers for MIR's future&nbsp; 2 huge organisations =
have=20
totally opposite points of view. These organisations are the RAKA (so: =
the=20
Russian NASA) and MIR's owner RKK Energiya. Recently RKK Energiya got =
support=20
from the Duma. The Duma gave permission to use&nbsp; money earned from=20
spaceflight activities and for which Russia is the rightful claimant, so =
no=20
money from the public treasury.&nbsp; RKK Energiya is hoping for the =
American=20
project to use&nbsp; an electro-dynamic tether as a counter action to =
surpress=20
the natural drag. To make this possible the project has to be realised =
by=20
attaching the 7 KM long tether at the Kristall module during an EVA by=20
cosmonauts.&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Koptev, however, has another =
opinion.&nbsp; He=20
states that every rubel which can be used for Russian spaceflight has to =
be=20
invested in the Russian obligations&nbsp; for the International Space =
Station.=20
He is responsible that Russia fulfils her promises in international=20
cooperation.&nbsp;&nbsp; Russia's contribution to the ISS is the only =
way to=20
survive as one of the greatest spaceflight nations in the world.&nbsp; =
In his=20
opinion it is not realistic to exploit MIR for&nbsp;&nbsp; 1 or 2 years =
more and=20
thus loosing influence in the development of&nbsp;&nbsp; ISS. He also =
warns for=20
the dangers which an uncontrolled MIR-complex might mean for humanity. =
He=20
emphasizes that&nbsp; the mysterious leakage of air makes further =
exploitation=20
irresponsible. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>Reasonable reliable assessments =
based on=20
information from good sources:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>There is still hope, but the =
promised funding by=20
the Duma is far from sure.&nbsp; In this respect there has not =
been&nbsp; a=20
single officially confirmed&nbsp; action in that respect. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>There are still tentative&nbsp; =
plans for the=20
beginning of 2000, which would make it necessary to raise MIR's orbit by =
a=20
Progress.&nbsp; Towards the end of January 2000 (perhaps on 24.01.2000)=20
the&nbsp; tanker Progress-M1 will be launched to MIR. This tanker can be =
used to=20
put the complex on the final destruction course into the atmosphere for =
decay=20
over the designated area East of New Zealand.&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>&nbsp;</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D2>The Russians hope to send Main =
Expedition 28=20
(Zalyotin and Kaleri) to MIR in April 2000. Definitely without the =
movie&nbsp;=20
actor Steklov. This mission will last 2 months. <BR> <BR> Chris van =
den&nbsp;=20
Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202<BR></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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