Adapted from Packete Radio
==========================

* MIR NEWS *
============
The latest news regarding operations on the Mir space station is provided
by astronaut Mike Foale via the Amateur Radio station onboard the orbital
complex:

 Stat   : PR
 Posted : 09/07/97 19:59
 To     : N6CO
 From   : R0MIR
 @ BBS  :
 BID    :
 Subject: Mir Status

Anatoli and I had the pleasure of doing the EVA on Saturday, while most of
the world was occupied with the sad loss of Princess Dianna and her funeral,
about which we are also very sad.  During the EVA, Anatoli worked much longer
than planned to be sure that under the buckled radiator panels there is no
deformation of the pressure hull of Spekter.  After moving to the area of
the broken solar array motor drive foundation, we found that it was
significantly out of alinement, suggesting there could be substantial
damage under the motor, and therefore the pressure hull.  More EVA will
be required to investigate futher this area.  Anatoli was successfull in
aligning the working arrays properly to the sun, so that Mir can now fly
in a power efficient attitude without effecting the on-orbit resource of
the Soyuz spacecraft, because of higher than desirable temperatures of
the H2O2 fuel in the descent module.

Personally, this EVA was very rewarding for me, and was different in many
ways, from my first spacewalk on Shuttle.  The suit is well suited to
working on Mir, and allowed me to use three attachment tethers for
translation, the whole time.  On shuttle, I was mostly translated around
on the end of the arm - this time I was the driver, moving Anatoli around
on the end of the Strela 20m crane.  I will remember the views of the
Earth and Milky Way, and station, in the light of a sickle moon, for
ever.  These night views were possible, because the only external lights
we had were those mounted on our helmets, and which I could turn off when
appropriate.  I hope more people in the future, and many more supporters
of human space flight, will one day get the chance to have such
experiences as I have been lucky to be granted.

Mike. KB5UAC.

[Info received via Dr. Dave Larsen, N6CO]