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 f ailing 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 day s they 
had to spend a lot of time on the 2 KOB-systems. One of those systems showed 
a repeatedly pressure decrease. The y 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 t he cooling loop in Kvant-1 
until  after the departure of Atlantis. For the coordination of all 
activities and to get th e 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-convers ations.For instance  11.05 during 
the pass in orbit 64127 at 0639UTC TsUP ordered Tsibliyev to switch off the 
cycling o f the solarpanels and when he did so the SOI (possibly the system 
for orientation and stabilisation) stopped. The reser vesystem (SOI-2) 
immediately took over.  During the last days special attention had to be paid 
to the movements- (attit ude-) control systems.  The external thruster in the 
Soforamast (VDU) has been used, possibly to take care for the stab ilisation 
during a resetprocedure for the gyrodynes. 
Preparations for the arrival of Atlantis:  Especially Jerry Linenger is very 
busy with the selection and the arrangemen t 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 an d 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 VK S (Russian Space Forces)  have to correct the orbit such that the 
period will become 1436 minutes ) on day 128 the peri od 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 Linenge r for return to Earth. As soon as 
Mike Foales 'seatliner' has been transferred to MIR (in fact via MIR to 
Soyuz-TM25) M IR 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  L anding 24.05 at 1153UTC.
Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202. 
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