Subject: mirnews.s428
From: "C.M. vd Berg" <[email-masked]>
To: Multiple recipients of list <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 19 Jun 1998 09:21:48 -0400 (EDT)

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MIRNEWS.428                                                              =
   18 JUNE 1998

MIR routine: It could be expected that the departure of  Andy Thomas =
marking the end of Phase-1,  would be the beginning of a rather dull =
period on board MIR.  Already on 10.06 it became clear that this was not =
so. The crew had to relax from the strenuous work during the visit of =
Discovery,  but the past week was far from dull.  Now and then Altair-2 =
was in use for representative and operational matters.  On  10.06 they =
had a telebridge with the new capital of Kazakhstan, Akmola, and =
Musabayev spoke with his president Nazarbayev and some of his =
countrymen.  The session was dedicated to the inauguration of that new =
capital, which took place that day.  On behalf of himself,  but also of =
Budarin  and the departed Andrew Thomas, Musabayev congratulated his =
president with the new capital and he expressed his admiration regarding =
 the energetic way in which the city was built.  It proved the enormous =
vitality of his country.  He merely spoke in the Kazak  language, but =
added a short translation in Russian.=20

His friends in Kazakhstan asked questions about the guitar, which they =
had sent to Musabayev recently.  M. told that he had sent the guitar =
back to earth with the Discovery because there would be no  other =
possibilities to do that. Even if it would be possible to stow the =
guitar in their Soyuz-TM, they would not get permission to do that.  A =
chief physician, Goncharov, took the guitar with him to Russia and  it =
will be delivered at Musabayev's house.  The guitar has played an =
important role during some parties by the Shuttle- and MIR crews.  They =
played different styles of music and songs together. =20
Exercise Pilot: A few days  later the cosmonauts heard that they had  to =
execute a training for the redocking of their ship Soyuz-TM27. They were =
upset for  they did not know anything about a redocking in this period. =
Later  it was made  clear that this training was just an exercise like =
link-training for pilots.  M. and B. had to do this training with a =
computer program delivered to MIR recently.  They executed the training =
on 18.06.=20

On 17.06  the MIR crew sent a message to a medical conference in Moscow. =
They wished the deputees success  and showed a medical experiment by =
television.  Somewhat later they wished the city of Korolyov good luck =
with her 50-th anniversary.
    =20
 Serious problem with one of the Elektrons:  This problem emerged on =
17.06  after a modification of the Elektron (oxygen generator) in =
Kvant-1 (Module-E).  This modification, involving a replacement  of =
parts   of  the hydrogen gas analyzer,  was followed by some =
experiments.   During these experiments all went wrong.  Due to a =
malfunctioning circuitry no oxygen, but  hydrogen was injected into =
MIR's atmosphere. This hydrogen, in fact in very small concentrations, =
came in MIR's atmosphere together   with a dirty smelling  gas. Possibly =
the oxygen left the complex into open space.=20
The cosmonauts were displeased.  During EVA's they had reported that the =
valve at the outer surface of Kvant-1 was in a bad shape.  In their =
opinion it would have been better to leave the Elektron as it was, =
because  before the modification they had no problems.  The Elektron was =
switched off and  filters purified the air from noxious mixtures.   On =
18.06 the problem  seemed to have been solved.=20

Experiments: During a long communication session via Altair-2 on 18.06  =
the cosmonauts said that they were glad with the good news they got. =
(Possibly the fact that the exploitation of MIR will be prolongated, =
after a period of confusement and different statements on this subject.)
Musabayev extensively spoke about the experiments  which they could do. =
He emphasized the contribution of Kazak scientists in this field.  On 19 =
and 20.06.98 they will use the Gallar furnace for the Kazak experiment =
Temir (production of alloys). He also referred to   experiments named =
Maksat.  He told that they had done the experiment  Daterkhan  together =
with Andy Thomas.  They  wrote a report   in which they dedicated  the =
highest rating  (5) to the Kazak scientists.  =20

Planned orbit change cancelled:  The planned orbit change to lower    =
MIR's altitude  a little bit  on 18.06.98 was cancelled for economical =
reasons.  Due to insufficient funding the launch of the next freighter =
(Progress-M39) has been put back to September this year.  The fuel of =
Pr-M38 is needed for eventual attitude corrections of the MIR-complex.  =
Because of the same budget problems also the launch of Soyuz-TM28 =
planned for 2.08 is uncertain.=20

Chris van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202
=20

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<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>MIRNEWS.428&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb=
sp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
18 JUNE 1998</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>MIR routine: It could =
be expected=20
that the departure of&nbsp; Andy Thomas marking the end of =
Phase-1,&nbsp; would=20
be the beginning of a rather dull period on board MIR.&nbsp; Already on =
10.06 it=20
became clear that this was not so. The crew had to relax from the =
strenuous work=20
during the visit of Discovery,&nbsp; but the past week was far from =
dull.&nbsp;=20
Now and then Altair-2 was in use for representative and operational=20
matters.&nbsp; On&nbsp; 10.06 they had a telebridge with the new capital =
of=20
Kazakhstan, Akmola, and Musabayev spoke with his president Nazarbayev =
and some=20
of his countrymen.&nbsp; The session was dedicated to the inauguration =
of that=20
new capital, which took place that day.&nbsp; On behalf of =
himself,&nbsp; but=20
also of Budarin&nbsp; and the departed Andrew Thomas, Musabayev =
congratulated=20
his president with the new capital and he expressed his admiration=20
regarding&nbsp; the energetic way in which the city was built.&nbsp; It =
proved=20
the enormous vitality of his country.&nbsp; He merely spoke in the =
Kazak&nbsp;=20
language, but added a short translation in Russian. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>His friends in =
Kazakhstan asked=20
questions about the guitar, which they had sent to Musabayev =
recently.&nbsp; M.=20
told that he had sent the guitar back to earth with the Discovery =
because there=20
would be no&nbsp; other possibilities to do that. Even if it would be =
possible=20
to stow the guitar in their Soyuz-TM, they would not get permission to =
do=20
that.&nbsp; A chief physician, Goncharov, took the guitar with him to =
Russia=20
and&nbsp; it will be delivered at Musabayev's house.&nbsp; The guitar =
has played=20
an important role during some parties by the Shuttle- and MIR =
crews.&nbsp; They=20
played different styles of music and songs together.&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Exercise Pilot: A few =
days&nbsp;=20
later the cosmonauts heard that they had&nbsp; to execute a training for =
the=20
redocking of their ship Soyuz-TM27. They were upset for&nbsp; they did =
not know=20
anything about a redocking in this period. Later&nbsp; it was made&nbsp; =
clear=20
that this training was just an exercise like link-training for =
pilots.&nbsp; M.=20
and B. had to do this training with a computer program delivered to MIR=20
recently.&nbsp; They executed the training on 18.06. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>On 17.06&nbsp; the MIR =
crew sent a=20
message to a medical conference in Moscow. They wished the deputees=20
success&nbsp; and showed a medical experiment by television.&nbsp; =
Somewhat=20
later they wished the city of Korolyov good luck with her 50-th=20
anniversary.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial =
size=3D2>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>&nbsp;Serious problem =
with one of the=20
Elektrons:&nbsp; This problem emerged on 17.06&nbsp; after a =
modification of the=20
Elektron (oxygen generator) in Kvant-1 (Module-E).&nbsp; This =
modification,=20
involving a replacement&nbsp; of parts&nbsp;&nbsp; of&nbsp; the hydrogen =
gas=20
analyzer,&nbsp; was followed by some experiments.&nbsp;&nbsp; During =
these=20
experiments all went wrong.&nbsp; Due to a malfunctioning circuitry no =
oxygen,=20
but&nbsp; hydrogen was injected into MIR's atmosphere. This hydrogen, in =
fact in=20
very small concentrations, came in MIR's atmosphere together&nbsp;&nbsp; =
with a=20
dirty smelling&nbsp; gas. Possibly the oxygen left the complex into open =
space.=20
<BR>The cosmonauts were displeased.&nbsp; During EVA's they had reported =
that=20
the valve at the outer surface of Kvant-1 was in a bad shape.&nbsp; In =
their=20
opinion it would have been better to leave the Elektron as it was, =
because&nbsp;=20
before the modification they had no problems.&nbsp; The Elektron was =
switched=20
off and&nbsp; filters purified the air from noxious =
mixtures.&nbsp;&nbsp; On=20
18.06 the problem&nbsp; seemed to have been solved. </FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Experiments: During a =
long=20
communication session via Altair-2 on 18.06&nbsp; the cosmonauts said =
that they=20
were glad with the good news they got. (Possibly the fact that the =
exploitation=20
of MIR will be prolongated, after a period of confusement and different=20
statements on this subject.)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Musabayev extensively =
spoke about the=20
experiments&nbsp; which they could do. He emphasized the contribution of =
Kazak=20
scientists in this field.&nbsp; On 19 and 20.06.98 they will use the =
Gallar=20
furnace for the Kazak experiment Temir (production of alloys). He also =
referred=20
to&nbsp;&nbsp; experiments named Maksat.&nbsp; He told that they had =
done the=20
experiment&nbsp; Daterkhan&nbsp; together with Andy Thomas.&nbsp; =
They&nbsp;=20
wrote a report&nbsp;&nbsp; in which they dedicated&nbsp; the highest=20
rating&nbsp; (5) to the Kazak scientists.&nbsp;&nbsp; </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Planned orbit change =
cancelled:&nbsp;=20
The planned orbit change to lower&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; MIR's altitude&nbsp; =
a=20
little bit&nbsp; on 18.06.98 was cancelled for economical reasons.&nbsp; =
Due to=20
insufficient funding the launch of the next freighter (Progress-M39) has =
been=20
put back to September this year.&nbsp; The fuel of Pr-M38 is needed for =
eventual=20
attitude corrections of the MIR-complex.&nbsp; Because of the same =
budget=20
problems also the launch of Soyuz-TM28 planned for 2.08 is uncertain.=20
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial size=3D2>Chris van den Berg,=20
NL-9165/A-UK3202</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#000000 face=3DArial=20
size=3D2>&nbsp;<BR></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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