Mirnews No. 491 24 January 2001

Progress-M1-5 launched.
The tanker Progress-M1-5 was launched from Baykonur on 24.01.2001 at 04.28.42UTC for a 3 day lasting flight to MIR. This time 3 days instead of 4 for ballistic reasons: the orbit of MIR on 27.01 in relation to that of Progress-M1-5.
 
Pr-M1-5 will approach for a docking to MIR in the automatic mode on 27.01.01 at approx. 0530UTC.
 
Progress-M43:
In contradiction to some earlier publications this old freighter will undock from MIR on 25.01.2001 at 05.16.30UTC.
 
Attitude control MIR-complex:
The stabilisation of MIR is under control of steering rockets and the analogue system BUPO. Attempts to activate the gyrodines, or some of them, have been unsuccessful.
 
In the past, so before the addition of Module D (Kvant-2) to the MIR-configuration, Argon-16, a system like BUPO, and steering rockets controlled the attitude of the complex during docking operations in the automatic mode.
 
Communications on 24.01:
 
Progress-M1-5:
During the pass of this tanker in the 3rd orbit (0904-0906UTC) the telemetry transmissions in the 166 and 165 mc could be monitored in Western Europe.
 
During the pass in the 4th orbit (10.32.45 and 10.37.51UTC) very strong transmissions in the 166 and 165 mc and the 922.755 mc could be monitored. TCA (Time Closest Approach), so when the beacon transmitted exactly on 922.755 mc, was at 10.34.00UTC.
 
MIR:
Almost during every pass the telemetry transmissions in the 638 and 637 mc bands can be monitored. Now and then, for instance on 24.01 at 0944UTC also the 166.125 mc transmitter was active.
 
C.M. van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202<