MIRNEWS.404                                     26 JANUARY 1998
MIR-routine: During the weekend of 17.01.98 Solovyov and Vinogradov entered 
the airlock (Sh.S.O.) of the Module-D (Kvan t-2) and showed images of the 
outer hatch and its malfunctioning locks. One of those locks was seriously 
damaged. The r epair of this hatch will be done by the next crew for a 
special spanner is needed which has to be made on earth and del ivered to MIR 
by that crew.  The Russians can work inside the Sh.S.O.  not wearing a space 
suit for the air in the Sh.S .O. is leaking away very slowly. 
Endeavour (STS-89): During the launch of Endeavour on 23.01 at 0248UTC the 
MIR was over Western Europe.  As the crew wa s not able to see the launch 
they slept.  Appr. 19 minutes later Endeavour came in range of Western Europa 
and via the 259.700 mc (AM-W) Terrence Wilcutt could be heard reporting some 
facts to Houston via a trackingstation in Spain.  Duri ng the periods in 
which Endeavour and MIR could communicate directly on VHF both objects were 
out of our range. 
 A short time before the docking   images from MIR  with the approaching 
Shuttle could be seen via Altair-2. This was n ot very much: 2 huge 
projectors and a few obstacles.  In a very short transmission  CNN 
transmitted the same images. (N ot much attention by CNN for the  Clinton 
sensation had a higher priority) 
 
Communications MIR after the docking:  Via VHF channels a lot of interesting 
traffic.  The docking took place on 24.01. 98 at 20.14.15UTC. Just before the 
docking there was a short pass for Western Europe (MIR's orbit 68163, 
2008-2010UTC) with an elevation of 1 degree.  No traffic on 143.625 or 
130.165 mc could be monitored then.  During the pass in orbit 68164, 
2140-2149UTC, Solovyov could be heard on those 2 frequencies.  He reported 
that at his side all was ready to ope n the hatches after airseal checks,  
egalisation of the pressures with the 'vestibule' of the docking compartment 
(SO) and the installation of protection caps. At the side of the Shuttle 
these procedures lasted longer and we had to wait u ntil appr. 2225UTC before 
we could see how both commanders met each other. 
During the pass in orbit 68165,  2314-2324UTC, Solovyov reported that the 
hatches were open and that the joint crew had
 been instructed how to escape in case of emergency. 
 
Working days during the combined flight:  Both crews will stick to the 
Houston working day.  
On 25.01.1998 during MIR's orbit 68179 (2007-2050UTC) Altair-2 was in use for 
MIR-TsUP-M traffic.  Meanwhile Andy Thoma s had relieved David Wolf as a 
MIR-crew member.  Andy belonged to the MIR crew after the installation of his 
'seat-line r' in the Soyuz-TM26.  That ship serves as  a lifeboat in case of 
emergency  and the seat-liner (the Russians speak abo ut 'lozhement") must 
guarantuee a safe  landing  for him.  After a conversation about this 
seat-liner MIR transmitted v ideo-images. The first images showed a totally 
desoriented salamander, followed by those of the approaching Endeavour, 
 again the  poor salamander and at last the opening of the hatch and capers 
of a happy David Wolf. 
 
But.... there was a problem: the spacesuit  especially made for Thomas did 
not fit. He could not get in it and so he tr ied the suit of David Wolf.  
Again a problem: the fingers of his gloves were too long,  the Americans said 
15 centimete r, but in Solovyov's opinion this was not more than 7 
centimeters. Solovyov convinced TsUP-M that this was not a proble m for it 
was possible to correct the size of the gloves by the use of special tape 
(or: ribbons).  Nevertheless for som e time the Americans considered the 
possibility to take Andy back to earth this week. After 2 long communication 
sessio ns and a visit to Soyuz-TM26 of Terry Wilcutt they gave Andy 
permission to fulfil his mission on board MIR.  
 
Soyuz-TM27: On 29.01.98, so the day on which Endeavour will undock from MIR, 
the Soyuz-TM27 will be launched from Bayko nur at 1633UTC.  The docking at 
MIR's aft (Kvant-1 +X ) docking port is planned for 31.01.98 at 1813UTC.   
The main cre w of S-TM27 (and the crew for the 25th Main Expedition to MIR) 
will consist of Talgat Musabayev (commander) and Nikolay
 Budarin (flight engineer).  They will bring  CNES guest astronaut  Leopold 
Eyharts to MIR.  Eyharts will remain 3 week s on the MIR and after his stay 
return to earth together with Solovyov and Vinogradov in the Soyuz-TM26. The 
reliefcrew has the callsign: Kristall. 
Chris van den Berg,  NL-9165/A-UK3202. 
 
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