MIRNEWS.218

Soyuz-TM19 docked to MIR-spacestation:

S-TM19 docked to the aft dockingport (Kvant-1) on 3.07.94 at
1355UTC, so 9 minutes earlier than planned. Approach and
docking took place in the automatic mode by the system Kurs.
So during the pass in orb. 47859, 1355-1402UTC, the docking
just took place. By monitoring Altair OM Peter could determine
the right dockingtime meanwhile confirmed by TsUP.
During the 2d pass (orb. 47860, 1527UTC) the crew for the 16th
Main expedition already had joined their predecessors inside
MIR itself. During radiocontact with the trackingship Kosmonavt
Pavel Belyayev in the 3de pass (orb. 47861, 1704UTC)
Talgat Musabayev told that he was very pleased to be on board
and that he did not suffer from adaptation problems at all. He
also stated that he does not have any problems with the status
of this flight: Russian, Russian-Kazakh, CIS or international.
He considers himself to be a representative of all human
beings on earth. He also emphasized that nothing can hamper
the good friendship between the Russian an Kazakh people (let
us hope this also applies to the politicians!).

16th Mainexpedition to MIR:

This mission consists of the new crew together with Doctor
Polyakov. Malenchenko and Musabayev will return to earth on
2.11.94. Together with the new enthousiastic cosmonauts S-TM19
delivered to MIR hard- and software for experiments during the
Euromir 94 mission of Merbold in october this year.
In september 1994 Mal. and Mus. have to make 4 EVA (spacewalks)
aimed at the transfer of the solarpanels from Kristall
to Kvant-1, maintenance and inspections of the outersurface of
the complex and the replacement of containers (among other
things the American Trek-experiment) with experiments exposed
to open space.

Soyuz-TM18:

The relieved crew (Afanasyev and Usachov) will
return to earth by this ship on 9.07.94.

Progress-M23:

This freighter undocked from MIR on 2.07.94 at
0841UTC and decayed in the earth's atmosphere the same day.
Just before decay it jettisoned the VBK (ballistic return
capsule) which made a safe landing within Russian territory
150 KM N.E. of the town Orsk at 1508UTC.

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