MIRNEWS.377    14 AUGUST 1997

Soyuz-TM25:

This ship separated from on 14.08.97 at 08.55.58UTC and flew
away at 09.01.57UTC.

The returncapsule (S.A.) of S-TM25 made a safe landing on 14.08.97 at
12.17.10UTC at a distance of appr. 160 KM S.E. of Dzjeskazgan in
Kazakhstan. The landing took place later than estimated and CNN did not
bring the landing as 'live event'. For a long time TsUP could not give
the exact spot where the S.A. came down.

The radiotraffic in which the farewell ceremony took place, and in which
the relieved crew went on board S-TM25 and closed the hatches took place
via the facilities of White Sands and Wallops in the U.S.A. and the
trackingstations in the East of Russia.
When MIR and S-TM25 entered daylight at abt. 1118UTC communications with
TsUP were established via Altair-2 in which MIR relayed traffic from and
to S-TM25 via Altair-2 to TsUP. At abt. 1122UTC Tsibliyev reported the
beginning of the de-orbit burn. He reported continuously the results of
the impulses in meters/sec and at 1126UTC he said that the de-orbit burn
had stopped. He went on reporting details of the descent process and at
1145UTC he announced the separation of the BO (lifecompartment) and the
instrument/motor module from the SA (descent module) in 3 minutes. This
took place at 1148UTC just before the 3 objects entered the dense layers
of the atmosphere.

The BO and Instrument/motor block burnt up and the SA came in the plasma
wave. Radiocontact ceased and contrary to previous return flights did not
come back via Altair.

The voices of the men on board MIR could be heard. Foale said that he had
seen the S-TM25 disappearing below them. Altair-2 was switched off at
1201UTC.

Plans for tomorrow (15.08): Redocking of S-TM26 with on board the 3 crew
members of MIR from the aft to the forward docking port. After undocking
from MIR S-TM26 will hoover and wait until MIR turned 180 dgs so that the
forward (P.Kh.O.) port will be in front of S-TM26. During this operation
lasting from abt. 1322-1410UTC the crew will carry out an extensive
photo-and video observation for damage assessment.

Progress-M35:

As far as known at deadline for this report Pr-M35 will
redock at MIR's aft docking port on 17.08.97 at abt 1330UTC. (So not as
suggested in previous reports on 16.08.1997).

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