MIRNEWS.352    3 APRIL 1997

Progress-M34:

The launch of this freighter from Baykonur is on schedule for 6.04.1997
at 1904UTC. If this start will take place and the flight to the MIR
complex will be successful docking can be expected on 8.04.1997 at abt.
1730UTC. Pr-M34 has to deliver new supplies of fuel, oxygen, water, food
and repairmaterials. Pr-M34 will also bring 2 spacesuits for spacewalks
(EVA's) of a new type. Originally the Russians planned to have a new
Antares transmitter (for communications via the geostationary satellite)
ready for the flight with Pr-M34, but possibly they cannot make that and
that means that this transmitter will be delivered at MIR by the shuttle
Atlantis in May.

MIR-routine:

MIR's passes for our position take place during the nighthours and in
this period all communications are handled by the trackingstations in the
USA Dryden and Wallops and the OKIK's in the East of Siberia. For the
oxygen production the crew is fully dependent on the so called 'shashki',
the lithium perchlorate cartridges. Daily they 'consume' 2 or 3
cartridges. The 2 Elektronsystems could not be repaired and so the crew
has to wait for new Elektrons to be delivered by Atlantis.

Altair-2 (23426 - 94082A):

This geostationary satellite recently still over a subsatellite point
over 95 degrees East has been brought in a somewhat higher orbit. Now the
period is more than 1436 minutes. This means that the subsatellite point
is slowly moving to the West. If all goes according to plan Altair-2 will
reach a position over 16 degrees West in the 2d week of May.

1st Spacewalk (EVA) Tsibliyev and Linenger:

This EVA is on schedule for 29.04.1997.

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