MIRNEWS.358    11 MAY 1997

MIR-routine:

The successful spacewalk (EVA) gave the crew the elixir they badly
needed. In the period after the EVA the lion's share of the activities
had to consist of the preparations for the arrival of Atlantis on mission
STS-84 on 17.05 (wind and weather permitting). Of course they do a lot
in this repect, but repairs and the struggle to restore failing systems
almost overtax the cosmonauts. They had to replace a number of essential
parts of the SRV-U (the system for regenerating water from urine). Also
the system SRV-K, to make water from condenstation had to be mended. A
few days they had to spend a lot of time on the 2 KOB-systems. One of
those systems showed a repeatedly pressure decrease. They needed a
pressure hose for the repair and tried out some hoses they found. At last
they connected one that fitted and solved the problem by the separation
of both systems. They postponed the search for the leaks in the KOB-1 and
2 and the cooling loop in Kvant-1 until after the departure of Atlantis.
For the coordination of all activities and to get the necessary advices
from TsUP all VHF-windows are needed and used. They also communicate via
Dryden and Wallops in the USA and Oberpfaffenhofen in Germany, even
during holidays. Sometimes a failure emerges spontanuously during VHF-
conversations. For instance 11.05 during the pass in orbit 64127 at
0639UTC TsUP ordered Tsibliyev to switch off the cycling of the
solarpanels and when he did so the SOI (possibly the system for
orientation and stabilisation) stopped. The reservesystem (SOI-2)
immediately took over. During the last days special attention had to be
paid to the movements-(attitude-) control systems. The external thruster
in the Soforamast (VDU) has been used, possibly to take care for the
stabilisation during a resetprocedure for the gyrodynes.

Preparations for the arrival of Atlantis:

Especially Jerry Linenger is very busy with the selection and the
arrangement of that what he has to deliver on Earth. The Russians also do
so with the help of checklists. The main bulk of cargo for return
consists of samples and software of experiments, but there is also a lot
of defective and used equipment and parts of systems.

Altair-2:

This geostationary satellite (23426 - 94082A) accomplished its walk from
96 dgs East to 17 dgs West, but did not make a stand. To stabilize the
satellite over the calculated subsatellite point (between 16 and 17 dgs
West) the VKS (Russian Space Forces) have to correct the orbit such that
the period will become 1436 minutes ) on day 128 the period was still
1438 minutes.

Mission STS-84 Atlantis:

The main purpose of this mission is the delivery of Mike Foale and the
relief of Jerry Linenger for return to Earth. As soon as Mike Foales
'seatliner' has been transferred to MIR (in fact via MIR to Soyuz-TM25)
MIR mission will get the designation MIR23/NASA5. If, wind and weather
permitting, Atlantis will blast off on 15.05 the following schedule can
be used: Launch 15.05 at 0808UTC, opening hatches 17.05 0428UTC.
Undocking 22.05 at 0405UTC Landing 24.05 at 1153UTC.

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