MIRNEWS.342                        20 JANUARY 1997
  
  Atlantis/MIR:  During the period in which Atlantis and
  MIR were linked together the American TDRS-facilities
  were in use for the bulk of radiocommunications, thus
  anticipating the communication procedures of the future
  International Space Station Alpha.  The Russians used
  their facilities only to discuss matters regarding the
  MIR-complex itself.  With a few exceptions the Atlantis
  also took care for the movements (attitude) control of
  the huge  space combination.   
  
  Atlantis separated from  the MIR:
  
  Atlantis undocked from the MIR on 20.01.1997 at
  02.15.44UTC.  At 0357UTC the engines of the Atlantis gave
  the separation burn for the ride home.  After the
  undocking Atlantis remained in the free drift until the
  distance permitted firing of  steering rockets.  During
  the 2 flights of Atlantis around the MIR-complex no
  images have been transmitted from MIR.  These had been
  recorded and transmitted to Earth later that day via
  Altair-1.   Among them good images, for instance Atlantis
  flying away from under a MIR solarpanel  and several
  views of Atlantis moving away with a sight of the Earth
  in the background. 
  
  Soyuz-TM25: The next important operation will be the
  launch of Soyuz-TM25 from Baykonur on 10.02.1997 at
  1409UTC.  S-TM25 will bring the 23d Main Expedition
  (Tsibliyev and Lazutkin) and the German astronaut Ewald
  to the MIR. 
  (Stand-in crew: Musabayev, Budarin and Schlegel)  
  
  Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202
--- Maximus 2.01
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