MIRNEWS.374                                    31 JULY1997
Soyuz-TM26: The launch of this ship with on board a crew of 2 for MIR's  Main 
Expedition 24 is still planned for 5.08.1 997 at 1535UTC and if launch and 
flight go according to plan the docking will take place on 7.08.1997 at 
1723UTC.  This
 time deviates from the normal routine to dock only a few minutes after LOS 
for the first pass for our position. This t ime the docking will take place 
almost 20 minutes later possibly to enable Solovyov and Vinogradov to make a 
video and/ or photosurvey of the module Spektr for damage assessment and to 
see whether Spektr is not the only module that suffere d from the blow on 
25.06.97. Recently there have been suggestions that there might be more 
damage than  had been suppos ed initially.  
On 6.08.1997, so 1 day after launch of S-TM26 the freighter Progress-M35, 
meanwhile fully loaded with trash , will leav e the  aft (Kvant +X axis) 
docking port for  a 10 days lasting autnomous flight.  On 7.08 S-TM26 has to 
dock at that po rt, but after the departure of S-TM25 with the relieved crew 
on 14.08.97,  S-TM26 with on board Solovyov, Vinogradov an d Foale have to 
redock at the forward (P.Kh.O. = -X axis) port as soon as possible. This is 
scheduled for 15.08.97.  They can fly around, but also wait until the MIR 
complex has made a  turn  of 180 degr ees around the Z-axis. 
After redocking the Russians have to accept another challenge for already on 
16.08.97 Progress-M35 has to redock at the
 aft (+ X  axis) port. This time again in the automatic mode with the 
reliable system Kurs. 
There will be no time to recover  from the sustained strain  for the crew 
will have to deal with the preparations for t he IVA  on 20.08.97.  If this 
IVA will be awarded by success TsUP can give green light for an EVA (so  a 
real external one)  on 3.09.97 for an inspection of the outer surface of 
Spektr. 
Radio-amateurtraffic:  On 145.985 mc Packet Radio could be monitored in which 
Foale gave the following MIR-statusreport :
TNC frozen again, this time the PMS. Waiting for a replacement with MIR 24, 
Anatoliy and Pavel, docking on the 7th. Cre w is preparing for their arrival, 
getting Progress loaded with trash, to be undocked before next crew. 
Greenhousing, bu t not yet showing cotyledons. Mike. 
Chris Vandenberg, NL-9165/A-UK3202
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