MIRNEWS.422    17 MAY 1998

Progress-M39:

Launch. This launch took place from Baykonur on 14.05.1998 at
22.12.59UTC (for Moscow already 15.05.1998).

During the 3rd pass of Pr-M39 for our position it was clear that all went well.
The Telemetry transmitters in the 166 and 165 mc bands could be monitored here
between 0248 and 0251UTC.

During the 4th pass the signals in the 166 and 165 mc bands were very strong,
those of the 922.755 mc beacon weaker than normal between 04.16.55 and
04.22.00UTC. TCA (Time Closest Approach) was at 04.19.52UTC.

During flightday 2 the passes still took place during the night hours.
I preferred to sleep that night. One of my English Ketteringgroup friends
monitored the Pr-M39 transmissions thus convincing us that the bird was still
alive.

In the course of Pr-M39-s flightday 1 the crew of MIR were involved in the
following activities:

1st: Checking the TORU remote control system and performing some training with
this system.

2nd: Observations of the departing Progress-M38.

Progress-M38:

This old freighter was separated from MIR-s aft docking port on
15.05.1998 at 1844UTC. As of 1914UTC TsUP executed some manoeuvres with the
autonomously flying Pr-M38. The cosmonauts had to observe and film 4 impulses
of the engines of Pr-M38. This happened during a window via Altair-2 and
Musabayev reported his findings to a Georgiy at TsUP. In the beginning Pr-M38
flew in front of MIR with a gradually increasing distance. Now and then the
cosmonauts lost sight of the freighter, but between 1944 and 1952UTC a number
of observations were possible.

At 19.51.03UTC, just before one of the impulses they again lost sight of Pr-M38.
At the moment of the burn at 19.51.38UTC Pr-M39 was exactly below MIR and
the crew were able to see the fan-shaped flames coming out ot the Pr-M38.
Further plans foresaw in the despatching of Pr-M38 on a destruction course
after the safe docking of Pr-M39 at the MIR-complex.

Approach and docking of Progress-M39:

On 16.05.98 at 23.50.34UTC Progress-M39 docked at the aft (Kvant-1) docking
port.

Approach and docking took place in the automatic mode by the system Kurs.

The communications via Altair-2 started at 2310UTC. At that moment the distance
was 4400 Meters, closing speed 12.8 M/sec. Only problem was that one of the
displays did not work. Musabayev reported all movements, distances and closiing
rates.

At 23.16.10UTC the distance was 1980 Meters, closing rate 5.7 M/s. From that
moment on M. started testing TORU. He reported the response of TORU on his
commands and at 23.18.52UTC he stated that the test had been accomplished and
that the results were positive.

At 23.22.30UTC phone communications via Altair-2 stopped and a kind of test
image emerged on my screen without any images of the station or ship. The phone
channel parallel to the TV-channel was open, but not in use.

At 2342UTC the VHF downlink came in. M. was still reporting the data of the
operation.

Earlier he had said that he would continue reporting and recording this even if
there should be an interruption of communications.

The approach was still under the control of Kurs, but M. was ready to take over
by TORU. He regularly stated: all is going well, no panic, no emergency, no
instructions. The VHF window closed at 23.42.50UTC at a distance of 148 Meters.
At 23.46.45UTC Phone was back via Altair-2, but the report of the 'kasaniye'
(first contact) reached TsUP via VHF out of my range.

Just before Altair-2 was switched off Musabayev reported that the recorder had
been turned off.

I waited for the next VHF window. Altair-2 communications were not resumed.
During the window in orbit 69918 , 0114-0123UTC, M. reported that all was well
and that they continued the post docking operation according to schedule
(cyclogram) and Board Documentation.

Then I went to bed, I was too tired to wait longer and used my timeswitch for
the passes still to come.

During the pass in orb. 69919, 0247-0257UTC M. reported that the air-seal
checks did not give problems and that they already had opened the hatches to
Pr-M39. There came a very strong airstream out of the freighter with the nice
smell of apples. All was clean and the first object they had seen in the Pr-M39
was a huge guitar.

No radiotraffic during the following passes.

Misunderstanding in MIRNEWS.421:

I mistakenly took the planned melting of an Optizon sample as something to do 
with one of the station's KOB loops. Please forget the sentence with this 
subject. My apologies for the caused confusion and thanks to those American 
friends who have put me back on the right track.

Chris van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.