MIRNEWS.370                                                  15 JULY 1997
Spacewalk (IVA): The preparations for the internal EVA  were still going on 
successfully (as far as this could be ascer tained by monitoring) when 
Tsibliyev reported that he had heart rhythm problems. Initially he discussed 
this with a doc tor,  first name Irina, who was not able to diagnose the case 
and so she did not prescribe medicine. Later on Tsibliyev
 asked for permission to take: a pill. He also asked for an answer on  his 
question  whether  he would be able to carry
 out the difficult IVA or not. The problem emerged yesterday and now it has 
become clear that higher doctors are trying
 to find a solution. During radio conversations in the passes of orb. 65141 
and 65142 it became obvious  that the compl aints of Tsibliyev's complaints 
will effect further plans.  The exercise which was scheduled for today (using 
Kvant-2  to imitate the IVA into Spektr) had been put back and so was> the 
IVA itself. Today Tsibliyev declared that if he could
 have a week to recover and nothing special would occur  he'd wish to do the 
IVA himself.  During the difficult period which begun with the collision he 
had been so involved in all this that he considers the IVA to be his duty.
TsUP obviously had other ideas and asked Foale to take the microphone. Foale 
stated that he had no objections and that he would be very pleased to fulfill 
this task. He was confident that Tsibliyev would give him the right 
instructions. T sibliyev possibly agreed with the option of Foale replacing 
him/doing the IVA instead. Foale added that heknows how to handle the 
spacesuit Orlan-DMA.  Tsibliyev said that the spacesuits were ready for the 
operation.
 A few orbits later MIR communicated with TsUP via Altair-2 through phone, 
but they also exchanged images. For a long t ime the cosmonauts were involved 
in technical preparations  for the IVA in the transition section. Tsibliyev 
was the mo st active crewmember during these preparations and did not show 
signs that he had health- or stressproblems. Probably h e  wants to recapture 
his place as spacewalker nr. 1.
 Whether Tisbliyev or Foale will do the IVA is not yet known.  The IVA has 
been put off about  abt 10 days. Foale did n ot participate in the 
discussions from the P.Kh.O.  Now and then, but not often, Lazutkin could be 
heard. 
Altair-2: The crew succeeded in restoring the communications from and to MIR 
via this geostationary satellite. Initiall y they had problems with their 
phone during the transmission of TV-images.  On Sunday (13.07) they used 
little sheets o f paper showing written messages of that what they wanted to 
tell to their relatives and friends. On 14.07 they adjuste d the installation 
in which Foale substantially participated. 
Today, 15.07, the so called Ku-band was fully in use during some passes.
Chris Vandenberg, NL-9165/A-UK3202
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