MIRNEWS.359                                                      25 MAY 1997
Just before the beginning of  Atlantis mission STS-84 I left my 'station' for 
a badly needed vacation.  For those who u se my 'MIRNEWS-series' as a 
chronicle I decided to draft a short summary of that mission. The information 
therein I der ived from different sources. 
Atlantis STS-84 mission largely accomplished successfully:
Launch Atlantis on 15.05.97; flawless docking with MIR on 17.05.97. Michael 
Foale relieved his collegue Jerry Linenger. MIR's mission will be named :
 IR 23 / NASA 5. 
Both crews succeeded in transferring mutually all what had to be transferred 
within 
 the 5-day period. Adding a 6th 'docking day' was not needed. 
 MIR was plentifully provided with an extra supply of water and oxygen en the 
repla-
 ement equipment and spareparts to postpone for a very long time the 
definitive   
 termination of the aging spacestation. The most important equipment for that 
purpose
 was the new oxygen machine Elektron, which had to be installed in the 
Module-D                 
 (Kvant-2). The old Elektron which had been repaired some weeks ago and has 
been          operational in Module-D has been reinstalled in the former spot 
in Kvant-1 to be used as a reserve. The delivered supply of oxygen enables 
the crew to refrain for a long         period from the use of the Elektrons.  
Defective equipment, for instance the old Elektron, which could not be 
repaired, has been brought back to e arth for analysis.  Originally there has 
been a plan to deliver a new Antares transmitter for communications via the 
ge ostationary Altair-2 (now in position over 16 degrees West). Information 
about this plan is still unclear and even some times contradictory.  
Communications: During the combined flight the communications also to and 
from MIR  had been handled to a large extent via the American 
TDRS-facilities. MIR communicated directly with trackingstations on Russian 
territory using VHF freque ncies. 
After the launch of Atlantis on 15.05 Eileen Collins could be heard on 259.7 
mc  between 0826 and 0829UTC when she via a trackingstation in Spain reported 
 the 'power down of the APU'.  Shortly after the stabilization of Altair-2 
over 16 degrees West there has been word that the satellite had a transmitter 
failure and that the Russians would do all what w as possible to reactivate 
this transmitter.  Due to my absence I was not able to monitor 10.830 Ghz. 
During my stay in Budapest I met a 'colleague' and he told me that he 
received somewhat like a 'wide band' signal on that frequency, prob ably a 
test signal by the VKS (Russian space forces). This was on 19.05.  Later on 
and until the afternoon of 21.05 the
 transponder transmitted a continuous carrier without modulation.  An other 
colleague in Western Europe monitored the w ideband signal and recorded this. 
Meanwhile  there came some information about the Antares transmitter on board 
MIR. Th e installation of a new Antares has been put back until the arrival 
of a needed part which has to be delivered by Progr ess-M35 (launch 22.06, 
docking 24.06). 
Conlusion: Altair-2 is operational.  The problem is still on board MIR. 
                                                -2-
 
                                               -2-
MIR-routine:  The 3 crewmembers on board MIR  again have to do the job alone. 
Just before the arrival of Atlantis they repaired the defective 
waterregeneration systems (SRV-K condensation and SRV-U urine) .  Before a 
profound analysis on Earth of the quality of the water regenerated by the 
SRV-K  they are not allowed to drink this water. They are satisfied about the 
new supply of oxygen and the relative high pressure of the atmosphere on 
board: 780 mm. On e of the first priorities is the search and elimination of 
a leakage in the coolingloop VGK.  The passes of the MIR-sta tion for our 
position take place during the nighthours.  So for a short period there will 
be not much radiotraffic via VHF unless something special happens during 
these nighthours.  I will remain on the alert!
Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.    
--- Maximus 2.01
---------------