SEPTEMBER 1998



MIR-routine: After the return of the freighter Progress-M39, the

cosmonauts were able to execute a number of experiments. From 1 until

3.09.98 they worked on geophysical, astrophysical and medical

experiments.  During the geophysical experiments they used the lidar

Alisa.  Apart from medical experiments the cosmonauts also underwent

routine check-ups of their cardiovascular system.



In this period, but also thereafter, not much was reported about

technical failures.  Now and then the CO2 scrubber, Vozdukh, in the Base

Block received  extra attention and the BKV-3, the a.c.,  was less

capricious and mostly functioned without hiccups after  it had been

switched off and on some times.    The internal pressure of the system

remained the problem.



Communications: Meanwhile the passes of the MIR-complex for Western

Europe shifted to the night. So not much radiotraffic can be monitored.

Observers in Finland and Sweden confirmed  that Luch-1/Gelios is  used

for Russian manned  spaceflight and produces very strong signals.  To be

able to do somewhat with those signals they have to do a lot of

experimental work before they can do with Luch-1 what we could do with

Altair-1 and later on with Altair-2. One of them has a dish  with a

diameter of 3.5 Meter and via a channel not in use for MIR-TsUP traffic,

he produced nice pictures of a Proton launch relayed by Luch-1/Gelios.



Radio-amateurism: Until 2.09.98 the 145.940 mc was in use for Packet



Radio. As of 2.09  Packet Radio they use 145.985 mc again.



1ste Spacewalk (internal Spacewalk) crew Main Expedition MIR nr. 26:



After 3.09.98   most attention of the cosmonauts was dedicated to the

preparations for the Internal spacewalk scheduled for half September.

Until 15.09.98 the crew  used some days to check spacesuits and

equipment, but also to prepare   the complicated  procedures in relation

to the disconnection of cables in order to close some hatches of the



Internal Spacewalk  (IVA) crew 26th Main Expedition  MIR:



The IVA inside the module Spektr began on 15.09.1998 at 2000UTC (opening

hatches between P.Kh.O. -transition section- and the module). The

estimated duration of the IVA was 3 hrs but already  at 2030UTC,  so

after 30 minutes, the cosmonauts closed the hatches behind them.  The

task during the IVA was  relatively easy. The cosmonauts had to connect

a few cables to an interface for the steering  of solar battery number 3

of Spektr.  However the  work was not limited to these 30 minutes for an

IVA requires a lot of  preparations.  For instance the crew had to

prepare the transport ship  Soyuz-TM28 for an eventual emergency

departure.  And after the IVA the S-TM28 had to be conserved again.



Radiotraffic:  During the pass in orbit 71828,  2251-2257UTC, when MIR

came in range for the first time after the IVA, radiotraffic revealed

that the cosmonauts had accomplished the IVA itself and that they

already worked on preparations to check   the restored cable

connections.



During the following pass on 16.09.98 between 0021-0031UTC they

discussed this cablework before   continuing the reactivation of  those

systems which had been switched off during the IVA and the conservation

of  the ship S-TM28. During the pass between 0156-0207UTC this work was

still in progress and they already had conserved the S-TM28,  deployed

airhoses and programmed computers with commands ,  among which those for

the attitude control by gyrodynes.  After this pass with a stable air

pressure in the complex  (735MM) the cosmonauts went asleep.



Results of the IVA: Officially has been reported that experts are almost

sure  that the IVA was a success.  On 16.09.98 after a  7 hrs  sleep the

crew will start to execute several tests. If these tests are positive

and the solar battery can be aimed to the most effective solar angle the

power supply of the complex  will be much better than be before the IVA.



Eventual 2nd Spacewalk: For this expedition 4 spacewalks had been

planned, but 2 of them have been cancelled due to the bad economical

situation.  When the 2nd one will be made  is still unsure, but  this

certainly not take place  before the end of December 1998.



Progress-M40: The launch of this freighter is still scheduled for

15.10.1998. Pr-M40 will carry the Znamya 2.5. This huge solar reflector

has to be deployed after the departure of Pr-M40 from MIR.  This

experiment is expected on 21.02.1999. After 7 autonomous orbits of

Pr-M40 the cosmonauts will transmit remote control commands to deploy

and to aim the reflector sail.