MIRNEWS 490 – 19 Jan 2001

Specialists at TsUP Moscow are still struggling along to restore the full attitude control over the MIR space station. On 18.01 they were able to switch on the Main OB Computer, TsVM-1, and loaded commands into this system. On the morning of 19.01 they were sure that they would succeed in the course of the day, but in the afternoon they were still trying to achieve a stable attitude and stated that they used steering rockets controlled by the BUPO (Block Upravleniya I Prichalivaniya). They were very optimistic and sure that they could restore the normal situation with spinning gyrodines today or tomorrow.

Progress-M1-5: Based on this optimism they announced that the tanker Progress-M1-5 will be launched on 24.01.2001 at 04.28.40UTC with an estimated docking time at MIR on 27.01.2001 at 0530UTC.

Progress-M43: The predecessor of the new tanker, Progress-M43, will undock from MIR after the launch of Pr-M43. The available fuel on board of Pr-M43 is sufficient for a safe reentry and burn up in the atmosphere of the tanker itself.

Telemetry: During 4 passes of MIR within my range on 19.01, I monitored telemetry transmissions in the 638, 637, 166 and 165 mc bands with strong and stable signals.

C.M. van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202