MIRNEWS.204 14 JANUARY 1994 Soyuz-TM17 returned to earth: On 14.01.1994 at 0819UTC (08hrs18mins20secs) the returncapsule of the S-TM18 landed at 215 KM West of Karaganda in Kazakh- stan. The cosmonauts (Tsibliyev and Serebrov) felt well after their flight of 197 days. They will be flown to Starcity near Moscow this afternoon. Again a routine-message about a routine-operation, but yet 'it has been a near thing' and nearly I had to draft a real sho- cking message! Return operation: At 0145UTC the hatch of S-TM17 was closed behind Tsibliyev and Serebrov. At 0430UTC the S-TM17 undocked from MIR. Tsibliyev had got orders to make a short inspection flight around the MIR-complex. They had to make images of the outersurface and they had to give special attention to the APAS89 docking system on Kristall (Module-T). In a distance of 30 Meters S- TM17 deviated from the desired course and collided with the MIR-station. Immediately radiocontact with S-TM17 was lost. After 10 minutes TsUP managed to re-established radiocontact with S-TM17 and the crew reported that their ship did not suffer damages and that the air-seal was still in good order. They also did not see any damages on the MIR-complex. S-TM17 made its last 2 orbits around the earth and the descent started at abt. 0715UTC. At 0804UTC the parachute opened and the 2-tonns heavy capsule made a safe landing at 08.18.20UTC. MIR: The new crew (15th Main Expedition) immediately started obser- vations through the portholes to try to determine eventual damages. During the passes in orbits 45206 (1100UTC) and 45207 (1234UTC) they transmitted to earth video-images which they made during the departure and fly-around of S-TM17. Shortly Afanasyev and Usachov will have to make a non-schedu- led spacewalk to inspect the place, where S-TM17 hit the MIR- station. (probably near the APAS89 docking device on Kris- tall -Module-T). Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.