MIRNEWS.246    17 FEBRUARY 1995

Successful docking Progress-M26 at MIR:

Freighter Pr-M26 docked at the aft (Kvant-1) docking port of
the MIR-complex on 17.02.1995 at 182136UTC in orb. 51427.
Approach and docking took place in the automatic mode with the
system Kurs. Viktorenko was ready to take over manually (by
TORU) if necessary. He reported the movements of the Pr-M26
which enabled me to monitor the operation until 'kasaniye'
(touch, soft docking). For TV-transmissions and phone the
Russians used the geostationary Altair. This time the docking
was executed in the earth's shadow. A searchlight had been
installed on the Pr-M26. During the next orbit (0912UTC) the
crew reported that the airseal was good. It lasted a long time
before the crew could enter the Pr-M26 due to some obstructing
goods.

Decay of Progress-M25:

Pr-M25 left the aft docking port on
16.02.1995 at 1303UTC. After two autonomous orbits the Pr-M25
got an impuls at 1606UTC to enter the dense layers of the
atmosphere. She decayed in a for that purpose designated area
over the Pacific East of New-Zealand.
Pr-M25 did not carry a VBK (ballistic return capsule). The
Russians do not equip Progress-M ships with such a capsule if
the landing has to take place in the winter.

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