MIRNEWS.278    6 NOVEMBER 1995

MIR-routine:

From 1.11.95 problems with the system for the cooling of
MIR's atmosphere. This system, K.O.Kh-1, showed a malfunction
due to a leakage. It took a lot of time and efforts to find
this leakage and to repair it. During the drafting of this
report the crew still was working on it. To get some cool air
the crew used alternative systems and the air-conditioning of
some modules and even that of the life-compartment of the
Soyuz-TM22. And of course: something was wrong and that is why
the evil reached the media! The problems with the cooling
caused delays in a number of Euromir95 experiments. Possibly
the work with those experiments have been resumed today or
will be so tomorrow.

Atlantis (STS-74):

This shuttle will deliver a Russian dockingmodule
(5 meters long) to the MIR-complex. The Canadian astronaut
Chris Hadfield will work with a manipulatorarm to erect the
module and connect this with a docking port in the cargobay
of Atlantis. The next step will be the docking at the Module-T
(Kristall), still attached a radialport of the transitionssection
(P.Kh.O.). For a few days the dockingmodule will
act as a tunnel through which both crews can float between the
spacestation and the shuttle. Atlantis will ultimately separa
te from that dockingmodule which will be a part of the MIR-
complex from that moment on. The flightplan of Atlantis:
Launch 11.11.95 at 1257UTC, docking to MIR on 14.11.95,
separation from MIR's new dockingmodule on 17.11.95 and return to
earth on 19.11.95. During recent radiotraffic Gidzenko told
TsUP that the MIR crew with pleasure accepted the invitation
of their Atlantis colleagues for a lunch on board the shuttle.
The Atlantis will deliver 20 KG soft- and hardware for repla
cements and supplements for the Euromir95 program.
During periods in which MIR and Atlantis can see each other
they possibly use the following frequencies for phone: 121.750
and 130.165 mc and amateurfrequencies.

Radio-amateurtraffic:

MIR still uses 145.550mc for packet-
radio. On 30.10.1995 R0MIR used 145.850mc for downlink with
amateurs in Russia. The uplink-frequency is 145.250mc. Technical
imperfections and missing accessories caused some setbacks
in the Safex program. One thing is for sure: Reiter and Avdeyev
are doing their best.

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