MIRNEWS.319    1 AUGUST 1996

Progress-M32:

This freighter was launched from Baykonur
on 31.07.1996 at 20.00.06UTC. All went well and during
passes within our range the signals of the beacon- and
telemetry transmitters in the 166, 165 and 922.755 mc
could be monitored. During the pass in orbit 4, 020700-
021220UTC TCA (Time Closest Approach) for the Hague
was 020808UTC (922.755 mc Doppler dip).

If all continues to go according to plan the Progress-M32
will link up with MIR on 2.08.1996 at 2158UTC. The
first pass (of that sequence) of MIR and Progress-M32 in
MIR's orbit 59727, will last from 2147 until 2154UTC. 
So during this pass the final approach is going on and 
radiocommunications regarding this operation possibly
can be monitored in the VHF-band.

The Pr-M32 will deliver to the MIR-station a cargo of
2478 KG. 328 KG of this cargo consists of experiments
and equipment to be used by the French spacionaute
Claudie Andre-Deshays during her Cassiopeia mission to
MIR this month. The cargo further consists of water,
food, fuel, oxygen, letters, equipment, software,
spareparts etc.

Progress-M31:

This freighter is still docked at the
forward (-X axis) port of the MIR-station and this port
has to be free for the arrival of Pr-M31's successor Pr-M32.
For that reason Progress-M31 will separate from MIR
on 1.08.1996 at 1642UTC and after a short autonomous
flight this freighter will be put on a destruction course
and burn up in the atmosphere over a designated area of
the Pacific East of New-Zealand.

Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK-3202.