MIRNEWS.132    30 MAY 1992

The cosmonauts o.b. MIR have been working on experiments instead of repairing
and replacing life-support equipment. They used a camera named Liva for
earth-observations and mentioned the areas of which they had to make
videorecordings.
The crew also used equipment for the Austrian experiments of Austromir. They
worked on a few of those experiments in coordination with an expert on TsUP.
Monimir (reflexes under micro-gravity) and Migmas (raster ion microscope) of
which the data with the device Datamir are transmitted via MIR's telemetry
channels. The continuation of experiments with equipment left behind by guest
cosmonauts must be of a great advantage: funds for Russian spaceflight and the
fact that the Austrians have constructed the equipment not only for the short
stay on board MIR of Franz Viehbock in Oct. 1991.

THE EX-TRACKING FLEET:

Some of the ships of that fleet are still seaborne, but
not for tracking or relay purposes. During the last weeks there have been
messages that the Kosmonavt Yuriy Gagarin, the K. G. Dobrovolskiy, the K.V.
Komarov and the K.P. Belyayev left their homeports. Obviously the ships made
short cruises. It took some investigation work to get the following information:
the Russians decided to keep the ships floating and to maintain the original
shape as to make the ships 'attractive' for foreigners during cruises and
business trips and eventual expeditions. Important persons involved in
spaceflight, science and commerce founded some organisations to use the ships
for cruises and business promotion trips. They already started one or more
cruises. One of the travel agencies is leaded by the former cosmonaut Beregovoy.
If they pay 350 thousand rubles cosmonauts and spaceflight employees can enjoy a
cruise. A few days ago the Kosmonavt Pavel Belyayev showed up in radiocontacts
with the MIR station. So just as it has been before: MIR traffic in the West
while MIR was still out of range of Yevpatoriya. The Belyayev visited Hamburg
and the mayor of that city greeted the cosmonauts. Some experts on board kept
the transceiver for MIR communications in good order and the scientist and
tradesmen on board Belyayev spoke with the cosmonauts. The ship does not work
for TsUP and on 30 May, during orbit 35950, 1106-1117UTC wondered with whom the
crew has been speaking. On 1 June the ship will visit London and some important
passengers on board will speak with MIR during orbits 35982 (1049-1100UTC) and
35983 (1225-1235UTC). Some scientist and tradesmen on board will try to promote
Russian products and look for partners for commercial and scientific
cooperation. There will be not much propaganda for spaceflight for they do not
have much material on board. They have photographs, but no TV-films. Viktorenko
told the ship that he regretted this. The Belyayev will be involved in a number
of events in relation to the Columbus-92 expeditions and Viktorenko promised
that the MIR-crew if necessary and possible will cooperate and assist. There
are rumours that an ex-trackingship (Belyayev or Dobrovolskiy) will visit
Rotterdam for 2 days around 10 June 1992.

Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.