Mir Mission Status Reports

Mir-23 - Week of March 7, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center, Korolev
Friday, March 7, 1997

Mir-23 crewmembers Commander Vasily Tsibliev, Flight Engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin and U.S. astronaut Jerry Linenger are continuing microgravity science work aboard the Mir Space Station following last Sunday's return to Earth of the Mir-22 crew. This week the crew focused on many science investigations in addition to the troubleshooting of a balky oxygen generation unit called the Elektron.

The unit, located in the Mir's Kvant-2 module, is designed to separate the oxygen out of the onboard waste water and return it to the cabin atmosphere using the process of electrolysis. The unit has not been working properly due to an excessive amount of air in the system, which operates like a pump, prompting flight controllers to review procedures with the crew in order to restore its use.

Earlier today, the crew was asked to attempt to activate a second Elektron unit located in the Kvant-1 module. During a communications pass through Russian ground stations, the crew reported that this second unit had been successfully activated, but was exhibiting higher levels of hydrogen than it should. A gas analyzer designed to automatically shut the system down when it reaches unacceptable levels would have shut the unit off in about six hours. Based on that information, the crew was given approval to shut down the system, and to activate solid fuel oxygen generating candles tomorrow.

While flight controllers consider it desirable to restore the Elektron units to full operation, they are not considered critical and are not the only means of generating oxygen onboard Mir. There are enough candles onboard to supply the three crew members with oxygen for two months, if required. The crew was told to position fans inside Mir to evenly distribute the current oxygen supply throughout the station's modules before activating additional oxygen canisters.

The Progress 233 resupply vehicle that undocked from the station February 6 and was placed in a stationkeeping position away from Mir, could not redock to the outpost as planned on Tuesday due to problems with the remotely operated rendezvous system (called TORU for its Russian acronym). The plan originally was to redock the Progress following the departure of the Mir-22 crew once a docking port was available.

While it was not required to be docked to Mir, the primary rationale for redocking the expended Progress was to test the TORU system at a further distance since this manual method for docking is being phased in by Russian controllers as a replacement for the automatic docking system. Chief Flight Director Vladimir Solovyev said in a press conference this morning that further attempts to redock the expended Progress will not be made to protect the propellant margins required for a safe reentry in the southern Pacific Ocean on March 11.

The next Progress resupply vehicle is scheduled to be launched on April 6 with an automated docking scheduled for April 8. The new Progress is carrying the upgraded Orlan spacesuits that Tsibliev and Linenger will wear during their spacewalk, which is now scheduled for no earlier than April 16. Once docked, Progress 234 will be unloaded and undocked and the crew will practice a manual docking using the TORU system at the longer range of up to 8,000 meters.

Mir-22 Commander Valeri Korzun, Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri and German cosmonaut Reinhold Ewald returned to Earth last Sunday and were flown back to the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center outside Moscow later in the day for routine postflight medical evaluations. All were reported in good health. Their return ended 197 days in space for Korzun and Kaleri and 20 days for Ewald, who was launched with the Mir-23 crew on February 10.

The Mir-22 crewmembers returned environmental samples of air and water gathered shortly after the oxygen generator fire in the Kvant-1 module on February 23, which will be analyzed by Russian and American toxicologists.

Science investigations in the fundamental biology and microgravity science disciplines continued aboard Mir this week as well.

Linenger continued the human life sciences sleep investigation which examines immune system alterations in relation to sleep in microgravity. It should provide long-term data on the physiology and behavior of human sleep under conditions of prolonged microgravity. The entire experiment will be conducted at scheduled intervals throughout Linenger's mission by all crew members onboard.

The first block of the Human Life Sciences Sleep Investigation was completed by Linenger on March 1 and initiated by Tsibliev and Lazutkin on Wednesday. The experiment examines alterations to the body's immune system with relation to sleep in microgravity and is designed to provide long term data on the physiology and behavior of human sleep under prolonged microgrvity conditions. This sleep investigation experiment is scheduled periodically throughout Linenger's flight.

The 96-hour Liquid Metal Diffusion (LMD) experiment sample was completed on Monday. LMD is designed to evaluate material dynamics in space and utilizes the Microgravity Isolation Mount to reduce or eliminate vibrations that could disturb the sample processing. In conjunction with experiment operations, the Space Acceleration Measurement System also was activated.

An examination of the adaptive modifications of the human sensory input during space flight is being investigated as well throughout the mission. The second session of this experiment -- called Orientation -- was initiated on Wednesday. Not only is data gathered during the flight experiment, it also will measure subsequent effects experienced during the readaptation to gravity.

A weekly "Interactions" questionnaire, which profiles mood states and interpersonal group environments, was completed on March 5. This activity is scheduled every Wednesday throughout Linenger's flight on Mir.

Today is the 23rd day aboard Mir for Tsibliev and Lazutkin and the 52nd for Linenger, who will remain a Mir-23 crew member until the next visit of Space Shuttle Atlantis in mid-May to deliver supplies along with his replacement, astronaut Mike Foale.

Foale will return to the United States next month for the final weeks of training prior to the STS-84 launch.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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Mir Increment
Summaries

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Mir-23 - Week of March 14, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
1700 DMT (0800 CST) -- Friday, March 14, 1997

This week aboard Mir, the crew focused on science work, and took inventory of tools and equipment that will be used for a spacewalk in mid-April by Mir-23 Commander Vasily Tsibliev and Astronaut Jerry Linenger. During breaks from their science work, the crew is generating its oxygen by burning solid fuel oxygen generators. Through Friday, approximately 23 candles have been used to maintain acceptable oxygen levels aboard the station.

With a sufficient amount of the oxygen generators onboard, estimated to number approximately 180, the crew was told to concentrate on their regular flight plan activities and await the arrival of the next Progress resupply vehicle scheduled to dock with Mir April 8 following it's planned launch atop a Proton launch vehicle April 6. In addition to new Orlan spacesuits for Tsibliev's and Linenger's spacewalk, the Progress will carry repair equipment for the Elektron system and an as yet to be determined number of oxygen candles.

One of the Elektron systems requires a replacement pump and the other may need a new custom- made filter. Russian flight controllers believe contaminants may have clogged the filter in one unit while a malfunctioning pump in the other requires replacement. The Elektrons normally use the process of electrolysis to separate oxygen out of the onboard processed waste water and return it to the cabin air.

The Progress resupply ship will also carry routine supplies of food, equipment and personal effects for the crew. Once docked, Progress 234 will be unloaded and the crew will then practice a manual docking using the remotely operated rendezvous system, called TORU for its Russian acronym, at the longer range of up to 8,000 meters. The TORU system is required for use at greater distances since this manual method for docking is being phased in by Russian controllers in lieu of the automatic docking system.

Though the crew members kept busy with science work on the station, they also commented on being able to see the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbour and the recently discovered Comet Hale-Bopp.

Linenger began the Human Life Sciences humoral Immunity Investigation last Friday which assesses the body's immune system response to an antigen vaccination. The experiment involves taking seven blood samples during a one month period to study the immune cells in the human body. Samples are collected at timed intervals to measure antibody production and to determine the effectiveness, extent and time course of the antibody response.

The Microgravity Opposed Flame Flow Spread (OFFS) was begun on Monday to help determine the processes that affect flame propogation when materials are exposed to varying air flow speeds in microgravity. Both the Microgravity Glovebox and the Space Acceleration Measurement System are activated to support this experiment.

An Enhanced Dynamics Load Sensor (EDLS) session was performed late last week. This experiment measures the forces exerted by the crew members on the Mir structure during daily activities.

The Human Life Sciences Sleep Investigation, a study that examines alterations to the body's immune system with relation to sleep in microgravity, continued this week. The experiment is designed to provide long-term data on the physiology and behavior of human sleep under prolonged microgravity conditions. This sleep investigation experiment is scheduled periodically throughout Linenger's flight.

The 96-hour Liquid Metal Diffusion (LMD) experiment sample number 4 was completed on Monday. LMD is designed to evaluate material dynamics in space and uses the Microgravity Isolation Mount to reduce or eliminate vibrations that could disturb the sample processing. The weekly Kanas "Interactions" questionnaire, which profiles mood states and interpersonal group environments, was completed on March 12. This activity is scheduled every Wednesday for all crew members throughout Linenger's flight.

Today is the 30th day aboard Mir for Tsibliev and Flight Engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin, and the 59th for Linenger, who will remain a Mir-23 crew member for the remainder of his stay on Mir. He is scheduled to be replaced by Astronaut Mike Foale upon the arrival of Atlantis on its next mission, scheduled for launch in May. Foale returns to the United States next month for the final weeks of training prior to the STS-84 launch.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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Mir-23 - Week of March 21, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
1700 DMT (0800 CST) -- Friday, March 21, 1997

Astronaut Jerry Linenger passed the halfway point of his stay aboard the Mir Space Station this week as he and his Mir-23 crew mates continued their science investigations in and around some minor problems with the station's attitude control system.

Tomorrow marks the one year mark of continuous U.S. presence in space begun when Astronaut Shannon Lucid was delivered to Mir March 22, 1996 on Atlantis' STS-76 mission. She was replaced by Astronaut John Blaha on STS-79, and he, in turn was replaced by Linenger on STS-81. Astronaut Mike Foale will replace Linenger on the next shuttle docking mission scheduled to begin with launch of Atlantis May 15.

Investigations into human adaptation to the space environment continued this week even though the crew had to respond to a malfunction with the station's attitude control system.

On Wednesday at about 0748 DMT (2348 EST, 2248 CST), the primary angular rate sensor in the Spektr module on the Mir failed which prompted the motion control system computer to automatically switch to a backup system. During this three minute swapover, the station's gyrodynes began maneuvering the station in all three axes (approximately 0.5 deg/sec about the z axis, 0.3 in y and 0.1 in x). When the swap to the backup sensor was completed, the rotation of the station was beyond what the gyrodynes could compensate.

The crew switched off the attitude control system placing the station in what is called 'free drift' and then used onboard thruster jets to stabilize it's attitude. For most of the day Mir was in a stable attitude called gravity gradient. Because this attitude did not keep the solar arrays constantly pointed at the Sun to charge the onboard batteries, the crew turned off the gyrodynes and other equipment to conserve power. Late in the day flight controllers uplinked a new attitude maneuver to the motion control system computer and the crew restarted the gyrodynes.

With the primary angular rate sensor û called Omega -- considered failed, a workaround is being considered that would have the crew reroute cables to another Omega in one of the other modules. Currently the station's attitude control is being managed by the primary sensor on the backup unit, called ORT 1. By early Thursday morning, the station was back in its normal operating attitude, called an inertial attitude, which maneuvers the station's solar arrays to always point toward the Sun.

Components to bypass a suspected clogged filter in one of the Electron's onboard will be shipped to Mir aboard the Progress resupply vehicle. The filter is custom made and will not be available in time for the scheduled April 6 launch. This workaround will partially restore the use of the Electron unit which normally uses the process of electrolysis to separate oxygen out of the onboard processed waste water and return it to the cabin air. The solid fuel oxygen generators will continue to be used even after the Progress arrives to supplement the Electron once repaired.

In addition to the oxygen generators on Mir considered usable, Progress will deliver 60 more. On average, the crew is burning three candles per day to maintain acceptable oxygen levels aboard the staton.

The spacewalk by Linenger and Mir-23 Commander Vasily Tsibliev remains scheduled for mid to late April. They will wear newly designed spacesuits also stored aboard the Progress resupply vessel.

In science activities this week aboard Mir:

The microgravity Queens University Experiment in Liquid Diffusion experiment was calibrated March 17 with sample processing scheduled to begin this weekend. The experiment will evaluate the diffusion coefficients of select metals in microgravity.

Linenger continued the Human Life Sciences Humoral Immunity Investigation with follow-up blood and saliva collections performed on March 14 and March 18. The experiment assesses the body's immune system response to an antigen vaccination. The experiment involves taking seven blood samples during a one month period to study the immune cells in the human body. Samples are collected at timed intervals to measure antibody production and to determine the effectiveness, extent and time course of the antibody response.

The Microgravity Opposed Flame Flow Spread (OFFS) was completed March 14. It is designed to help determine the processes that affect flame propogation when materials are exposed to varying air flow speeds in microgravity. Both the Microgravity Glovebox and the Space Acceleration Measurement System are activated to support this experiment.

An Enhanced Dynamics Load Sensor (EDLS) session was performed late last week. This experiment measures the forces exerted by the crew members on the Mir structure during daily activities.

The three crew members completed the first block of the Human Life Sciences Sleep Investigation March 17. This study examines alterations to the body's immune system with relation to sleep in microgravity. The experiment is designed to provide long-term data on the physiology and behavior of human sleep under prolonged microgravity conditions. This sleep investigation experiment is scheduled periodically throughout Linenger's flight.

An experiment designed to characterize the radiation environment on Mir was conducted March 15. This thermoluminescent dosimeters processing for the Fundamental Biology Radiation Dosimetry investigation will continue to be processed at regularly scheduled intervals.

The monthly ambient Diffusion Controlled Protein Crystal Growth photography session was completed March 17. The experiment's objectives are to produce large, high quality crystals of selected proteins under controlled conditions in microgravity.

The weekly Kanas 'Interactions' questionnaire profiling mood states and interpersonal group environments was completed as scheduled March 19. This activity is scheduled for all crew members throughtout Linenger's flight.

Today is the 37th day aboard Mir for Tsibliev and Flight Engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin, and the 66th for Linenger.

While life continues aboard Mir, Foale is nearing completion of training in Russia and will return to the U.S. in early April for the final weeks of training prior to the STS-84 launch. Astronauts Wendy Lawrence, Jim Voss, Dave Wolf and Andy Thomas left Star City Thursday night for survival training in Siberia. Since both Lawrence's and Wolf's missions occur during the winter, they will train in the frigid climate in the event that they would have to make an emergency return to Earth to survive on their own before help could arrive. They will return to Star City late next week.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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Mir-23 - Week of March 28, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center, Korolev
Friday, March 28, 1997

Dr. Jerry Linenger became the fourth most experienced U.S. astronaut Wednesday when his total flight time surpassed that of the American Skylab 4 crew of 84 days in space. Meanwhile, work aboard the Mir Space Station alongside his cosmonaut crewmates, Vasily Tsibliev and Aleksandr Lazutkin, continued this week with few problems to hinder their science investigations.

Linenger's total time in space includes his previous shuttle flight on the STS-64 mission and puts him behind Shannon Lucid, John Blaha and Dr. Norm Thagard û all preceding him as crew members aboard Mir û as the most experienced space travelers in U.S. history.

Linenger will surpass the single mission records of Thagard on May 6 and Blaha on May 20 before he returns home aboard Atlantis as a member of the STS-84 crew in May. He will be replaced on Mir by Mike Foale who returns to the Johnson Space Center April 10 for the final weeks of training prior to the scheduled launch of Atlantis May 15.

This week the Mir cosmonauts installed a spare "Omega" attitude sensor in the Kristall module and rerouted cabling from the unit that failed March 19. Functional tests of the newly installed unit have been completed and it will remain in a backup state to another senbsor component which is providing attitude control through the station's motion control system computer to keep the Russian outpost properly oriented.

The Progress resupply vehicle remains scheduled for launch April 6 with docking to Mir set for April 8. Among other supplies, the Progress will deliver newly designed spacesuits to be worn by Tsibliev and Linenger during their planned spacewalk April 29. The delay in the spacewalk from mid April will give the crew extra time to unload the Progress and to repair one of the Elektron oxygen generating units on Mir. The delay also will allow the work outside Mir to be conducted during daylight passes across Russian ground stations.

Meanwhile, science investigations continued this week aboard Mir.

The Human Life Sciences Humoral Immunity experiment continued with follow-up blood and saliva collections on March 21 and 24. The experiment assesses the human immune system's response to an antigen vaccination. It involves the crewmember taking seven blood samples during a one month period to study the immune cells in the body. Samples are collected at timed intervals to measure antibody production and to determine the effectiveness, extent and time course of the antibody response.

The Microgravity Queens University Experiment in Liquid Diffusion experiment daily sample processing was initiated last Saturday. This experiment evaluates the diffusion capability of select metals in microgravity and uses the Microgravity Isolation Mount as a stable platform for the conduct of the experiment.

A radiation measuring device called the Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter was downloaded late last week. The counter measures radiation levels in the living space aboard Mir's Spektr module.

Thermoluminescent Dosimeters were used for the Fundamental Biology Radiation Dosimetry investigation on Tuesday. These dosimeters characterize Mir's radiation environment and will be used outside the station during the April 29 spacewalk.

An Enhanced Dynamics Load Sensor session was performed by all three crew members Wednesday to measure forces exerted by the crew on the station's structure during daily activities.

Other U.S. astronauts pressed ahead with training this week for future flights on Mir and the International Space Station. Those activities included the completion of survival training in Siberia for Wendy Lawrence, Jim Voss, Dave Wolf and Andy Thomas. Along with Flight Surgeon Terry Taddeo, the group spent a week in temperatures as cold as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit. The training exercise, which ended Thursday, was designed to acclimate the astronauts to conditions they might experience in the event of an emergency return to Earth and the survival techniques they would employ until help could arrive.

Today is the 44th day aboard the Russian space station for Tsibliev and Lazutkin and the 73rd for Linenger. All other Mir systems are functioning normally.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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Mir-23 - Week of April 4, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, April 4, 1997

This week aboard the Russian Space Station Mir, the crew of Vasily Tsibliev, Aleksandr Lazutkin and U.S. astronaut Jerry Linenger continued science operations, and conducted maintenance work on several station systems. The cosmonauts continue to generate oxygen by burning solid-fuel oxygen generators known as "candles." The crew has burned three "candles" each day to maintain acceptable oxygen levels aboard the station. About 130 of the "candles" remain onboard.

Late this week, Russian flight controllers detected a leak in one of the Kvant-2 module's thermal loops, known as the VGK. This loop provides a similar cooling function for the Kvant-2 module as does the so-called KOB loop for the Mir's core module, maintaining structural temperature. On April 2, the crew began repair of this loop by using special sealant and a waterproof cloth. To compensate for the temporary loss of this loop, the Mir station's orientation was altered so the Kvant-2 module was shadowed from the sun by the Kvant-1 module, the core module and the station's solar arrays. Final work on repairing this loop is expected to be completed today.

Previously, another cooling loop in the Kvant-1 module experienced a decrease in pressure across one of its pumps. This pump was switched off and another was turned on to stabilize the pressure. But the pressure dropped to zeroonce again, resulting in a shutdown of a carbon dioxide scrubbing system known as Vozdukh. With the Vozdukh shut down, carbon dioxide removal is being performed by lithium hyroxide canisters. This is expected to continue until the Kvant-2 cooling loop is operational.

The next Progress resupply vehicle is scheduled to launch Sunday from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakstan at 11:03 a.m. Central time. The Progress will will carry repair equipment for the Mir's Elektron oxygen-generating system and additional oxygen-generating candles, extra repair gear for the station's cooling loops as well as routine supplies of food, equipment and personal effects for the crew. New spacesuits for a planned spacewalk by Tsibliev and Linenger on April 29 are also stored aboard the resupply ship. The Progress is expected to dock to the Mir on Tuesday, April 8 at 12:28 p.m. Central time.

The Human Life Sciences Humoral Immunity Investigation, which assesses the body's immune system response to an antigen vaccination, continued with follow-up blood and saliva collections this past week. The experiment involves taking seven blood samples during a one-month period to study the body's immune cells. Samples are collected at timed intervals to measure antibody production and to determine the effectiveness, extent and time course of the antibody response.

During the week, Linenger processed six sample sets for the Microgravity Queens University Experiment in Liquid Diffusion (QUELD). This experiment evaluates the diffusion capabilities of select metals in microgravity and uses the Microgravty Isolation Mount (MIM) as an acceleration isolation platform from the Mir.

The cosmonauts also worked with the Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter system this week, passing readings to ground controllers. TEPC measures radiation in the living space of the Mir.

The crew performed a combined active and passive Enhanced Dynamics Load Sensor (EDLS) session over the past week. This experiment uses both passive and active methods to measure the forces exerted by the crew members on the Mir structures during their daily activities.

Linenger initiated his second round of the Human Life Sciences Sleep Investigation, a study that examines alterations to sleep in microgravity. This experiment will continue for 12 nights. On the fourth and fifth day of this portion of the test, Linenger will take blood samples. The experiment studies the effects of microgravity on sleep and wake cycles, vestibular adaptation and impacts to the immune system.

An unknown hardware failure during checkout of the Orientation experiment resulted in the cancellation of this experiment for Linenger. This experiment uses French equipment to examine changes to human sensory functions during space flight, as well as the subsequent effects experienced during a cosmonaut's readaptation to gravity.

Today is the 53rd day aboard Mir for Tsibliev and Lazutkin, and the 82nd for Linenger. He is scheduled to be replaced by astronaut Mike Foale in mid-May when Atlantis launches for a docking with the Mir on the STS-84 mission.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

Mir-23 - Week April 11, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, April 11, 1997

The cosmonauts aboard the Russian Space Station Mir, including U.S. astronaut Jerry Linenger, marked their week with the successful docking of the Progress 234 resupply vehicle and the start of repairs to vital thermal cooling loops on the station. At weekÆs end, the ôVozdukhö system, which removes carbon dioxide from MirÆs atmosphere, was restarted, lowering carbon dioxide levels onboard.

The Progress resupply vehicle docked with Mir on Tuesday following its launch two days earlier from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakstan. The Progress delivered new spacesuits for Mir-23 Commander Vasily Tsibliev and Linenger for a planned spacewalk on April 29. It also carried repair equipment for the leaking thermal loops in the Kvant-1 and Kvant-2 modules and for the ôElektronö oxygen-generating system in the Kvant-2. Additional oxygen-generating candles and routine supplies of food, gaseous oxygen, equipment and personal effects for the crew were also delivered.

Mir now has enough solid-fuel oxygen generators to provide several months of backup oxygen for the station, plus several weeks of gaseous oxygen. Mir has also been supplied with 14 lithium hydroxide canisters, which will remove carbon dioxide from the air for 21 days, if needed, as a backup for the ôVozdukhö carbon dioxide scrubber. The Progress also brought additional fire extinguishers, bringing to 7 the number onboard, and 14 gas masks.

Repair work on the Kvant-1 cooling loop and the ôElektronö oxygen-generating system began late Wednesday after the crew found the repair hardware in the Progress. Working in the Kvant-1 module, Tsibliev and Linenger first cut out a leaking heat exchanger and capped the pipes leading into and out of that exchanger. Russian flight controllers believe the remaining three heat exchangers will be adequate to handle the system load for cooling. After leak checks were made to the loop, it was determined that another leak exists in the system.

This morning Russian managers decided to activate the ôVozdukhö carbon dioxide scrubber without the cooling loop. The Russians have expressed confidence that the ôVozdukhö can operate for up to 30 days in this mode, while further repairs are made to the loop. The operation of the ôVozdukhö without cooling is limited by the loss of humidity to vacuum. After 30 days, the humidity levels aboard Mir will be too low to permit the system to continue running. Plans call for the installation of another ôVozdukhö unit in MirÆs Core Module, which will be attached to an operational cooling loop. Before this can be accomplished, additional hardware must be delivered to Mir. Final plans for the delivery of this hardware on either the shuttle Atlantis during the STS-84 mission or the next Progress resupply vehicle are being developed.

Earlier in the week, Tsibliev and Lazutkin also completed thermal loop repairs and in the Kvant-2 module. The loop is now operating normally. By redirecting some of the internal ducting from Kvant-2 to the core module, crewmembers were able to lower the temperature in the Core Module by several degrees.

While this work was going on, Lazutkin started work on repairing the ôElektronö oxygen-generating system in Kvant-2. Although this unit was activated briefly several times, it shut off automatically. Ground personnel believe this is due to a faulty sensor in the control unit, which will be replaced by cannibalizing the same unit from the inoperative ôElektronö located in the Kvant-1. A new ôElektronö unit will be installed in Kvant-1 after it is brought to the Mir by the Atlantis astronauts in mid-May.

Additional troubleshooting on leaks on hydraulic loops in the Core Module have been completed and those loops will return to operational status by April 16. Reactivation of these two loops should restore normal temperature and humidity in the Mir Core Module. The crew will use fluorescent dye and a ôblack lightö sent up on Progress to aid in detecting the leaks.

Repairs to the Condensate Recovery System, which processes residual condensate from other Mir systems for drinking, are scheduled over the weekend.

Most science work on Mir was suspended this week to allow Linenger to join Tsibliev and Lazutkin in performing in-flight maintenance work on the thermal loops.

During the week, processing of two sample sets for the Microgravity Queens University Experiment in Liquid Diffusion (QUELD) was canceled due to service operations onboard. This experiment evaluates the diffusion coefficients of select metals in microgravity and uses the Microgravity Isolation Mount (MIM) as an acceleration isolation platform from Mir.

The Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (TEPC) readings were communicated to the ground late last week. TEPC measures radiation in the living space of Mir and in the Spektr module.

Linenger continued the Human Life Sciences Sleep Investigation, a study that examines alterations to sleep in microgravity. This portion of the experiment will continue for 12 nights. Linenger also took blood samples this week. The experiment studies the effects of microgravity on sleep and wake cycles, vestibular adaptation and the immune system.

On the day the Progress docked to the Russian station, the Mir Structural Dynamics Experiment (MiSDE) was completed, along with a Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) data take session. It recorded the forces imparted on Mir during the Progress 234 docking.

Today is TsiblievÆs and LazutkinÆs 60th day aboard Mir, and the 89th for Linenger, who is scheduled to be replaced by astronaut Mike Foale after Atlantis docks to Mir in mid-May. The next Mir-23 status report will be issued on Friday, April 18.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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Mir-23 - Week of April 18, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, April 18, 1997

Mir-23 cosmonauts Vasily Tsibliev, Aleksandr Lazutkin and U.S. astronaut Jerry Linenger spent much of the past week performing in-flight maintenance on several Mir systems, using tools and equipment delivered to them by the Progress 234 resupply vehicle, which docked with Mir April 8.

Linenger and Tsibliev also began preliminary preparations for a 5╜-hour spacewalk on April 29th to retrieve micrometeorite detection packages located on the MirÆs Docking Module.

The Elektron oxygen-generating system has been working continuously since Saturday evening. However, its oxygen production is not quite enough for three crewmembers, so the crew is using supplemental oxygen from Progress as required. Russian flight controllers expect to maintain this mode of operation until the Space Shuttle Atlantis arrives with a new Elektron unit in May. The quality of the oxygen onboard is reported to be pure, offering the crewmembers a good environment in which experiments and exercise resumed this week.

The Vozdukh system, which was activated a week ago, continues to remove carbon dioxide from the MirÆs atmosphere. The crew has been unsuccessful in locating any leaks in the Kvant-1 ôVGKö cooling loop system that is designed to keep the Vozdukh at the correct temperature. The three space travelers have systematically isolated segments of the loop in search of the leak, as well as dismantling the Elektron unit in Kvant-1, but have not found any leaks. Last Friday afternoon, Russian managers decided to activate the Vozdukh without the cooling loop, believing the remaining three heat exchangers will be adequate to handle the system load. They are confident the Vozdukh can operate for at least 30 days in this mode while further repairs are made to the VGK. Plans call for installation of another Vozdukh unit in the MirÆs Core Module, which will be attached to the thermal loop in the core. Before this can be accomplished, additional hardware must be delivered to the Mir. Final plans for the delivery of this hardware are being developed, along with procedures for the installation of the equipment.

Thermal loops in the Kvant-2 module continue to operate nominally after being repaired last week. By redirecting some of the internal ducting from Kvant-2 to the core module, crewmembers were able to lower the temperature in the core module

The crew also performed leak checks on the KOB-1 hydraulic loop in the Core Module. The KOB-1 and KOB-2 loops remain inoperative at this time. Their eventual reactivation should restore normal temperature and humidity in the MirÆs Base Block. The crew is using fluorescent dye and a ôblack lightö sent up on Progress to aid in detecting the leaks.

Repairs to the Condensate Recovery System, which processes condensate for drinking, were carried out during the week. The crew checked and cleaned the system, but the pump continues to malfunction. Tsibliev and Lazutkin reported finding significant amounts of water located behind panels in the Kvant-1 module, which may be contributing to the problem.

Much of the science work on Mir was deferred to allow Linenger to assist Tsbliev and Lazutkin with in-flight maintenance work, but experiment activity and spacewalk preparations picked up at weekÆs end.

Linenger reported that he was ahead of schedule and had completed processing a large quantity of sample sets for the Microgravity Queens University Experiment in Liquid Diffusion (QUELD). This experiment evaluates the diffusion coefficients of select metals in microgravity and uses the Microgravity Isolation Mount (MIM) as an acceleration isolation platform from the Mir.

The Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (TEPC) readings continued onboard. TEPC measures radiation in the living space of the Mir. It measures the general radiation in its on the Mir, in the Spektr Module.

The monthly Ambient Diffusion Controlled Protein Crystal Growth (DCAM) photography session was held April 17. The primary objective of the DCAM experiment is to produce large, high-quality crystals of selected proteins under controlled conditions in microgravity.

Linenger concluded the second Sleep Investigation block on April 12. This investigation studies the effects of microgravity on sleep and wake cycles, vestibular adaptation and the immune system.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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Mir-23 - Week of April 25, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, April 25, 1997

Mir-23 cosmonauts Vasily Tsibliev, Aleksandr Lazutkin and Jerry Linenger continued the repair and refurbishment of several Mir systems this week and began preparations for next TuesdayÆs space walk by Tsibliev and Linenger.

The Elektron oxygen-generating system continues to operate normally. The cosmonauts are continuing to use minor amounts of gaseous oxygen from the Progress resupply ship which is docked to Mir to augment ElektronÆs output. Russian flight controllers plan to maintain this method of oxygen generation for the station until the Shuttle Atlantis arrives with a new Elektron unit in May.

The Vozdukh system continues to remove carbon dioxide from the MirÆs environment without interruption. The crew has been unsuccessful in locating any leaks in a cooling loop in the Kvant-1 module that maintains thermal conditioning for the Vozdukh, but it has not affected the VozdukhÆs performance. The cosmonauts confirmed that there are no leaks in, around, or behind the Elektron unit in Kvant-1. Work on the cooling loop has been temporarily suspended.

Thermal loops in the Kvant-2 module also continue to operate normally. By redirecting some of the internal ducting from Kvant-2 to the MirÆs Core Module, crewmembers have been able to lower the temperature in the Base Block by several degrees.

During the week, the crew successfully repaired leaks in the KOB-1 hydraulic loop in the Core Module. After removing air from the system and performing pressure checks, they reactivated the KOB-1 loop, which continues to operate normally. The eventual reactivation of both KOB-1 and a companion cooling loop, KOB-2, should restore normal temperature and humidity in the Mir Core Module. Conditions are reported to be comfortable in the main living quarters of Mir.

Mir remains in an orientation that is assisting to cool the Core Module. This attitude also limits power availability because the Core ModuleÆs solar arrays are shadowed by the other modules. This is of no concern to flight controllers.

On April 17, the crew resumed its normal exercise regiment. The cosmonauts had performed only one hour of exercise a day since April 10. Tsibliev and Linenger also participated in the standard pre-spacewalk exercise-effectiveness assessment.

Tsibliev and Linenger began moving EVA-related hardware to the Kvant-2 airlock and checked out their spacesuits late in the week. They will wear new Orlan spacesuits during TuesdayÆs spacewalk, which is scheduled to begin at 11:50 p.m. Central time Monday night. The spacewalk is expected to last almost six hours.

The spacewalk is designed to deploy environmental sensor packages and radiation meters on the MirÆs docking and Kvant-2 modules and to retrieve two other experiments that have been collecting data on the effect of micrometeorite impacts on the Mir for the past year. Due to LinengerÆs work in repairing Mir systems and the time spent in spacewalk preparations, some of the final science work for LinengerÆs tour of duty was postponed until after the EVA.

Today is TsiblievÆs and LazutkinÆs 74th day aboard Mir since their launch in February, and the 103rd day aloft for Linenger, who is scheduled to be replaced by astronaut Mike Foale on the STS-84 docking mission of Atlantis, scheduled for launch in mid-May.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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Mir-23 - Week of May 2, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, May 2, 1997

The Mir-23 cosmonauts enjoyed two days of relaxation at weekÆs end after the first joint U.S.-Russian spacewalk ever undertaken. On Tuesday, Mir-23 Commander Vasily Tsibliev and U.S. astronaut Jerry Linenger accomplished all of their spacewalking tasks, attaching and retrieving several experiments designed to collect data on the environment around the orbiting space complex. During their five-hour EVA, Tsibliev and Linenger reported that their new Orlan-M spacesuits were more flexible than the old Russian suits. Linenger and Tsibliev also reported that the new visors in the spacesuit helmets to protect them from harsh sunlight worked well and prevented their visors from fogging during the EVA activities. Linenger was congratulated by Russian ground controllers on his first EVA as he and Tsibliev used a telescoping cargo crane to move themselves and their equipment from the Kvant-2 module to the MirÆs Docking Module for the installation of the Optical Properties Monitor (OPM). A short time after its installation, the OPM was activated and was reported to be in good working order. The device, which is designed to collect data on the environment around the Mir, was installed near a pair of similar experiments attached to the Docking Module by STS-76 spacewalkers Linda Godwin and Rich Clifford 13 months ago.

With their first task completed, Linenger and Tsibliev returned to the cargo crane and slowly swung back to the Kvant-2 module, where they installed a meter to monitor radiation levels around the Mir. Video of the spacewalk, downlinked to the Russian Mission Control Center by Flight Engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin inside Mir, showed the two spacewalkers operating with care near the MirÆs delicate solar arrays as they worked to the timeline crafted over the past year.

Linenger and Tsibliev then retrieved a pair of micrometeorite and debris particle collection experiments from the exterior of Kvant-2 that had been left outside by Mir-21 cosmonauts Yuri Onufriyenko and Yury Usachev last year. The experiments were returned to the Kvant-2 airlock where they will be stowed before being brought back to Earth.

On Saturday, the cosmonauts are expected to hold an audio conference with the STS-84 crew to discuss preparations for AtlantisÆ launch to the Mir on May 15.

The Mir systems continue to operate in stable fashion. The Elektron oxygen generating unit onboard Mir continues to operate normally as do other life support and environmental systems. Next week, the crew will resume its search for a leak in one the Kvant-1 module cooling loops, but no mission impact is reported.

Today is the 82nd day in space for Tsibliev and Lazutkin and the 111th for Linenger, who is scheduled to be replaced by astronaut Mike Foale on STS- 84.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

_______________________________________________________________

Mir-23 - Week of May 9, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, May 9, 1997

Mir-23 cosmonauts Vasily Tsibliev, Aleksandr Lazutkin, and U.S. astronaut Jerry Linenger spent the week tidying up the Mir Space Station in preparation for the arrival of Atlantis next Friday night. Atlantis is scheduled to launch Thursday morning from the Kennedy Space Center and is scheduled to dock to Mir late Friday night, delivering astronaut Mike Foale, who is replacing Linenger for his own four-month tour of duty, to the Russian station.

In advance of AtlantisÆ arrival, cosmosnauts repaired several onboard systems this week. The Urine Reclamation/Processing System was restored by replacing a holding tank, a valve, and a pump. The crew also cleaned up condensate that had collected on volume sensors. The processor is now operating normally.

The condensate recovery system was also restored. Two pumps that were known to be malfunctioning were changed out. The system is now working, but the recovered water is not being used as drinking water until a sample is analyzed by flight surgeons back on Earth. Atlantis astronauts will transport the water sample home after they leave the Mir.

Health checks to the gyrodynes and the MirÆs attitude control system were performed, a standard procedure in preparation for the shuttle docking. The gyrodynes are functioning as expected, with only one gyrodyne in the Kvant-2 module experiencing a problem. This gyrodyne is not needed for station attitude control, since the rest of the gyrodynes are working properly. Earlier this week, Russian ground controllers were not able to receive digital attitude control system data from the MirÆs system, although analog data indicated that the Mir was operating correctly. New software was uploaded to Mir by ground controllers that corrected the problem.

The Elektron oxygen-generation system in Kvant-2 continues to operate in good fashion. The crew was advised to use additional oxygen from the Progress supply ship to increase the total oxygen content in the Mir for next weekÆs arrival of Atlantis.

The crew continues to try to locate a minute leak in the KOB-2 cooling loop in the Core Module. Several sections of the loop have been isolated using hoses to try to find the leak, but so far it has not been located. The KOB-2 leak has no impact on operations. Further work to locate a similar leak in the VGK loop in Kvant-1 has been deferred until after the Atlantis docking mission.

Earlier this week there was a slight increase of carbon dioxide levels onboard. The probable reason for the increase was restricted air circulation in the Kvant-1 module, because of cleaning, packing, and cataloging of hardware to be transferred to the shuttle for return to the ground. The crew was instructed to improve the air circulation by rearranging the hardware in the carbon dioxide removal system, which resulted in a drop of carbon dioxide levels back to a normal level.

Linenger began to wrap up his science experiments this week. The Biotechnology System (BTS) filter cleaning took place on Monday. The BTS system supports a tissue growth chamber and is currently being evaluated and tested for viability of future culture growth experiments.

Linenger completed his third twelve-night Sleep Investigation experiment. This investigation studies the effects of microgravity on sleep/wake cycles, vestibular adaptation, and the immune system.

The final samples of the microgravity Queens University Experiment in Liquid Diffusion (QUELD) were run this week. This experiment evaluates the diffusion coefficients of select materials in microgravity using the Microgravity Isolation Mount platform as isolation from the space station vibration.

In preparation for the docking, the Mir-23 and STS-84 crews had an audio conference last weekend. Further conferences between the crews are scheduled before the launch of STS-84, although the STS-84 Commander Charlie Precourt requested additional time to talk to Linenger while Precourt is in crew quarters just before the launch at KSC.

Today is TsiblievÆs and LazutkinÆs 89th day of their mission, and the 118th for Linenger.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

_______________________________________________________________

Mir-23 - Week of May 16, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, May 16, 1997

Mir-23 Commander Vasily Tsibliev, Flight Engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin, and U.S. astronaut Jerry Linenger spent the week preparing the Russian Space Station Mir for the arrival of Atlantis and its seven astronauts in what will be the sixth linkup between the shuttle and the Mir. The cosmonauts conducted housekeeping chores and packed hardware and experiments to be returned to Earth onboard Atlantis.

The docking is scheduled to take place early tomorrow morning, Moscow time, about one minute before the Mir comes into contact with a Russian ground station. But flight controllers here will have insight into the Mir systems at the time of contact between Atlantis and the Mir through a voice relay that will be established through Atlantis.

The cosmonauts tried several times this week to downlink video and telemetry through the newly positioned Russian Altair communications satellite. But the Altair transmitters onboard Mir are not operational. The current plan calls for a spare transmitter being transported to the Mir by Atlantis to be installed soon after docking. That will allow television transmissions to resume through Altair, perhaps in time for the undocking of the two spacecraft next week.

MirÆs systems are reported by flight controllers to be in good shape for the docking of Atlantis and at least five days of docked operations to transfer several tons of equipment, food, and water between the shuttle and the station. A new Elektron oxygen-generation system that is being carried to the Mir aboard Atlantis will be transferred to the station on Sunday and will be installed in the Kvant-1 module. It will replace a failed unit that will be returned to Earth on Atlantis, but will serve for the time being as a backup to a functional Elektron oxygen generator currently operating in the Kvant-2 module.

The MirÆs Condensate Recovery System is now fully operational after minor maintenance work, but the crew will not be allowed to drink its produced water until after an analysis of water samples that will be brought back to Earth.

The MirÆs Urine Processing System was also repaired and activated and has been operating normally.

On Tuesday, the STS-84 astronauts and Jerry Linenger conducted a brief communications session to discuss stowage and transfer work to be conducted during the docked phase of the flight. The astronauts told Linenger that an extra docked day might be available if the time currently scheduled to complete the transfers is not sufficient. Linenger is currently packing and preparing items to be transferred to Atlantis and should be finished with this task by the time of docking.

Tsibliev reported Thursday that he could see the lit launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center shortly after AtlantisÆ on-time launch as the Mir passed overhead at an altitude of about 213 nautical miles, but at the time of launch the Mir was orbiting west of Australia and the cosmonauts could not witness the launch itself. The cosmonauts were informed of the successful launch by Russian flight controllers about an hour after it occurred with Linenger simply responding, ôThatÆs great.ö

Today is TsiblievÆs and LazutkinÆs 96th day of their mission, and the 125th for Linenger, who is scheduled to be replaced by astronaut Mike Foale within hours of AtlantisÆ docking. Foale will officially become a member of the Mir crew when his custom-made Soyuz capsule seat liner is transferred to the Mir from Atlantis. At that point, Linenger will resume his role as a shuttle crew member.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

_______________________________________________________________

Mir-23 - Week of May 23, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, May 23, 1997

U.S. astronaut Mike Foale began his four-month tour of duty on the Mir Space Station this week following the completion of five days of joint activities between AtlantisÆ astronauts and the Mir-23 cosmonauts.

Foale took up where astronaut Jerry Linenger left off, beginning work on several experiments and conducting housekeeping chores in the wake of the departure of Atlantis. In all, almost two tons of supplies and water were delivered to the Mir by AtlantisÆ astronauts, including a new Elektron oxygen generation unit that will be installed in the Kvant-1 module in the near future. Mir-23 Commander Vasily Tsibliev and Flight Engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin were instructed by Russian flight controllers to shut down the operational Elektron in Kvant-2 for the next three weeks thanks to an ample supply of oxygen pumped into the Mir from AtlantisÆ systems during the docked phase of the STS-84 mission.

During AtlantisÆ visit to the Mir, Tsibliev and Lazutkin completed the activation of the KOB-2 cooling loop, which provides cooling for various Core Module systems. A leak in one additional cooling loop, the VGK in Kvant-1, still awaits repair. That is expected to occur in the next two weeks, enabling the cosmonauts to install and activate the new Elektron unit as a backup to the unit in Kvant-2 for additional oxygen-generating capability. The VGK loop will also provide cooling for the Vozdukh carbon dioxide removal system on Mir, which has been operating normally without cooling for the past month.

During STS-84, the astronauts transferred an experiment to the Mir involving the study of the circadian rhythms of beetles in microgravity. A total of 64 beetles are being flown on Mir. Regular activities for this investigation include weekly checks to experiment systems and ventilation to the experiment cases.

The installation of a new television transmission system onboard Mir has been postponed until after the delivery of a component on the next Progress resupply vehicle, which is scheduled for launch on June 22 and a docking on June 24. Another component was delivered to the Mir on by Atlantis next week. As a result, television downlinks will be limited to ground station passes over Russia until early July.

All of the MirÆs systems continue to operate normally as the station circles the Earth at an altitude of 213 nautical miles every 90 minutes.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

_______________________________________________________________

Mir-23 - Week of May 30, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, May 30, 1997

U.S. astronaut Mike Foale is approaching the end of his second week aboard the Mir Space Station, working on a variety of experiments and helping to complete repairs to one of MirÆs cooling loops for the Kvant-1 module. This week, Foale completed assembly of the ôSvetö Greenhouse, last used by astronaut John Blaha to grow wheat during his flight on the station last year. Foale will use the greenhouse to grow Brassica rapa seeds, a mustard plant. The relatively short 28-day life cycle of the Brassica rapa will allow for the production of three generations of space seeds during FoaleÆs four month mission. Russian and U.S. scientists will use this experiment to determine the effects of microgravity on plant reproduction.

For several hours this week, Foale assisted his Mir-23 crewmates, Commander Vasily Tsibliev and Flight Engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin, in the final stage of the search for coolant leaks in the Kvant-1 VGK loop. The crew conducted a series of pressure tests on the cooling loop, and will continue VGK maintenance checks until Russian ground controllers are satisfied the loop is ready to resume its cooling duties. Repair of the VGK cooling loop will enable the cosmonauts to install and activate the new Elektron unit, brought to Mir two weeks ago by Atlantis during the STS-84 docking mission. The new Elektron unit, to be installed in Kvant-1, will serve as a backup oxygen generator to the operational Elektron unit in Kvant-2. The Elektron installation could begin as early as Tuesday. The VGK loop also will provide cooling for the MirÆs Vozdukh carbon dioxide removal system, which has been operating normally, without cooling, since mid-April.

The crew also conducted standard maintenance on the Core ModuleÆs KOB-2 heating loop and the stationÆs condensate water recovery system. All other systems aboard Mir continue to operate normally.

Several dozen beetles delivered to the Mir by Atlantis for a microgravity experiment are also doing well as Foale continues weekly checks of the experiment systems and ventilation of the beetle holding cases. This experiment involves the study of the circadian rhythms of beetles in the absence of gravity.

Launch of the next Progress supply craft to the Mir is scheduled for late June, with a docking to the station planned two days later. Progress will deliver food and other supplies to the Mir crew, including a new component for the MirÆs satellite transmission system. Until this component arrives, audio and video downlinks will be limited to ground station passes.

The Progress ship also will carry an experiment that will be attached to the outside of Mir during a future spacewalk. The Measurement of Air Pollution from Satellites instrument will measure global carbon monoxide pollution for one year from MirÆs vantage point. The experiment has flown aboard the space shuttle four times in the past.

Mir is orbiting the Earth at an altitude of about 210 nautical miles. Today marked the 110th day aboard the station for Tsibliev and Lazutkin, who will return to Earth in August, and the 14th day for Foale, who will be replaced on Mir in September by astronaut Wendy Lawrence.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

_______________________________________________________________

Mir-23 - Week of June 6, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, June 6, 1997

U.S. astronaut Mike Foale is approaching the end of his third week aboard the Mir Space Station, continuing to perform experiments and lending a hand to maintenance and repair work ongoing with a pair of environmental systems in the Russian outpost.

Along with Commander Vasily Tsibliev and Flight Engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin, Foale helped plant mustard seeds in the MirÆs Greenhouse experiment, which have already produced plant stems and leaves, the first of three generations of vegetation that will be grown during FoaleÆs mission.

Foale completed the initial checkout of the Mir Glovebox, which will be used for several science experiments. He also began working with the Mir Structural Dynamics Experiment, which consists of 31 portable and 22 fixed accelerometers placed throughout the station to measure the forces experienced by Mir during crew activity onboard. The experiment uses data from two other NASA experiments aboard Mir, the Enhanced Dynamic Loads Sensor and the Space Acceleration Measurement System. All of the data will be employed to better understand the strengths of forces that may be experienced by crews occupying the International Space Station in the future.

The Mir-23 cosmonauts continued their work this week on final repairs to the major cooling loop in the Kvant-1 module. Early in the week, using pressure checks, the crew narrowed their search for leaks to the ôbody coilö area of the loop which prevents condensation from forming on the internal hull of Kvant-1. On Thursday morning, the crew bypassed the body coils and found that the loop was holding its pressure. The cosmonauts then began removing air from the stored coolant in the loop. Late Thursday night, the crew detected a tiny amount of ethylene glycol emanating from a crimped portion of the loop near the Vozdukh carbon dioxide removal system. But Foale tested the air in the Kvant-1 module, as well as in the Core and Kristall modules, and found the MirÆs atmosphere to be clean.

As a result, the crew replaced the portion of the loop that was crimped, and the loop appears to be holding pressure. Over the weekend, Tsibliev and Lazutkin will continue to purge air out of the stored coolant fluid before it is pumped back into the loop. The reactivation of the loop will clear the way for the installation and checkout of the new Elektron oxygen generating unit that was delivered to the Mir last month by Atlantis during the STS-84 mission.

The cosmonauts also conducted maintenance work on the Core ModuleÆs heating loop to remove air from the system and to check for leaks. The crew also worked to remove a clog in the Core ModuleÆs condensate water recovery system. All other systems aboard Mir continue to operate normally.

The launch of the next Progress resupply craft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome is scheduled for late June, with a docking to the Mir planned two days later. Progress will deliver food and other supplies to the Mir crew.

On Wednesday, Foale spoke for several minutes with astronaut Jim Voss, who served as his backup during their training together in Star City, Russia. Private family conferences between Foale and his wife have been ongoing since Foale transferred to Mir three weeks ago.

Mir continues to orbit the Earth every 90 minutes at an altitude of about 211 nautical miles. Today is the 117th day aboard Mir for Tsibliev and Lazutkin, who will be relieved by another team of Russian cosmonauts in August, and the 21st day on Mir for Foale.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

_______________________________________________________________

Mir-23 - Week of June 13, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, June 13, 1997

Mir-23 cosmonauts Vasily Tsibliev and Aleksandr Lazutkin and U.S. astronaut Mike Foale completed repairs to the main cooling loop in the Kvant-1 module of the Mir Space Station this week after finding and fixing a leak that had eluded the crew since April. They spent some time this week cleaning up tiny amounts of residual ethylene glycol from the surfaces of the Kvant-1 module. Next week the crew will continue normal maintenance on Mir systems, including the final hookup of a backup Elektron unit brought to Mir by AtlantisÆ astronauts last month. The cosmonauts will also reconnect the Vozdukh carbon dioxide removal system to the Kvant-1 cooling loop to provide thermal control for that component, which has operating normally without cooling for the past two months.

Foale pressed ahead this week with a number of experiments, including additional work in the Greenhouse facility in which mustard plants are growing and the Colloidal Gelation experiment in the MirÆs Glovebox facility. This experiment studies the fundamental properties of small solid particles suspended in a fluid in a microgravity environment. These particles are difficult to study on Earth because gravity causes solid particles to settle. The Mir microgravity experiments may help scientists better understand these characteristics for future technological applications. Such particles are used in paints and coatings, drugs, cosmetics, and foods.

The Mir-23 cosmonauts also began a two-week experiment to study the effects of microgravity on human sleep patterns. Foale will assist in the sleep experiment by drawing blood samples from the cosmonauts and freezing the samples for postflight analysis.

Thursday was a holiday for the crew in celebration of Russian Independence Day. Foale enjoyed a brief conversation with former Skylab astronaut Joe Kerwin. Kerwin told Foale that he had already surpassed KerwinÆs mark of 28 days aboard Skylab in 1973. Later in the day, Foale was interviewed by the BBC.

Mir is in an elliptical orbit around the Earth, with altitudes varying between 208 and 219 nautical miles. Its systems are operating in smooth fashion. Today is the 124th day aboard Mir for Tsibliev and Lazutkin, who will be replaced in August by Mir-24 cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyev, Pavel Vinogradov, and CNES astronaut Leopold Eyharts, who will return to Earth with Tsibliev and Lazutkin after a three-week period for handover activities and French science experiments. Foale will be replaced by astronaut Wendy Lawrence in September after she arrives on Mir during AtlantisÆ next docking mission.

The launch of the next Progress supply ship to the Mir is scheduled for late June, with a docking two days later. Progress will deliver food and other supplies to the Mir crew.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

_______________________________________________________________

Mir-23 - Week of June 20, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, June 20, 1997

Along with his colleagues, Commander Vasily Tsibliev and Flight Engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin, U.S. astronaut Mike Foale continued the U.S.-Russian greenhouse experiment this week aboard the Mir Space Station, collecting his first plant samples and pollinating the remaining plants, which have reached maturity. Foale also measured the respiration rates of the plants in darkness. Scientists will use the greenhouse experiment to understand seed-to-seed life cycles in microgravity. Foale also worked on the Colloidal Gelation experiment, collected data from the Optical Properties Monitor, tested the air aboard Mir using the Solid Sorbent Air Sampler and conducted Earth observation work.

This weekend, the Mir-23 cosmonauts will finish a 12-night sleep experiment to study the effects of microgravity on human sleep patterns and immunity. Foale is assisting in the sleep experiment by drawing blood samples from the cosmonauts and freezing the samples for postflight analysis.

In Mir systems maintenance, the condensate recovery system in the Core Module was shut down temporarily for maintenance. The new Elektron unit in Kvant-1 is in place but is awaiting cable connections. The Vozdukh carbon dioxide removal system has not been reattached to the repaired Kvant-1 cooling loop because the system removes moisture as well as carbon dioxide from the Mir's atmosphere, lowering the humidity. All other Mir systems continue to operate normally.

On Thursday, Foale and his crewmates spoke with the daughter of Valery Chkalov, in honor of the 60th anniversary of her father's historic flight across the North Pole from Moscow to Vancouver, Washington.

The launch of the next Progress resupply craft is tentatively scheduled for June 27, with a Mir docking on June 29. Progress will deliver food and other supplies to the Mir crew. The Progress ship currently attached to Mir will be undocked June 24 and redocked June 25 to test both the Mir's automated docking system and new orbital maneuvering techniques for future missions. The current Progress will undock for the last time on June 28 to make room for the new Progress' arrival.

Mir continues to orbit the Earth in good shape in an elliptical orbit with altitudes varying between 210 and 216 nautical miles. Today is the 131st day aboard Mir for Tsibliev and Lazutkin and the 35th day on the Russian outpost for Foale.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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Mir-23 - Week of June 27, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, June 27, 1997

The Russian Space Station Mir continues to orbit the Earth in stable condition. The Mir-23 cosmonauts, Commander Vasily Tsibliev, Flight Engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin and U.S. astronaut Mike Foale, are in good condition as they continue to work with Russian flight controllers to develop methods for possible repairs to the Spektr module, which was damaged during a collision Wednesday with an unmanned Progress resupply vehicle during a redocking test.

Mission Controllers and technical specialists met again Friday morning at The Russian Mission Control Center to discuss their plans for the recovery of power from the three undamaged Spektr solar arrays. The head of the Russian Space Agency, Yuri Koptev, briefed reporters at MCC-M on Mir's status, saying that a special "plate" is being manufactured that will be mounted between the node to which the Core module and the Spektr module are attached during an internal "space walk" which is expected to be conducted by Tsibliev and Lazutkin in mid-July. They will be wearing spacesuits to perform the task, which may also include an inspection of Spektr, which lost its atmospheric pressure due to a puncture or a gash created by the collision. Foale will be located in the lower stage of the Soyuz capsule during the procedure, wearing his own spacesuit.

Koptev said that the plate, through which 22 cables can be run, is in the final stages of being built. The cables will be used to bring power from the Spektr arrays to the Core module to maintain proper charging of a variety of Mir batteries.

After the Mir's Kvant-2 module batteries lost their power earlier today, the Mir regained stable inertial attitude control at mid-morning through another thruster firing by the Soyuz capsule's jets. That will enable the Mir's gyrodynes to be reactivated on Saturday for automatic attitude control and solar pointing by the station for its active solar arrays.

Environmental conditions in the station are normal. The atmospheric pressure in the Core Module has remained stable since the Spektr module was closed off and isolated from the rest of Mir Wednesday. Oxygen levels aboard Mir are good and the removal of carbon dioxide is being handled by both U.S.-supplied lithium hydroxide canisters and the "Vozdukh" carbon dioxide scrubber. Telemetry from the Spektr module shows that the module is not yet at vacuum, but its atmosphere is close to being depleted through the leak. The exact location and size of the leak is not yet known.

Flight controllers continue to develop tools and procedures which may be used by Tsibliev and Lazutkin to recover the use of the Spektr's solar power. Veteran cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev is leading the effort to refine the tasks to be conducted by Tsibliev and Lazutkin. He will be joined by Richard Fullerton, the head of NASA's spacewalk working group and an as yet unnamed NASA astronaut with spacewalking experience. Veteran astronaut John Blaha, who spent four months on the Mir late last year, may also travel to Moscow to assist in the assessment of Mir's systems.

The new Progress resupply capsule will soon be packed with the materials needed to make the repairs to Mir. The launch of the new Progress is planned for early July. Russian ground controllers are also gathering data from the Progress capsule in orbit which collided with the Mir in an attempt to determine the cause of Wednesday's incident before it is commanded to deorbit.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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Mir-23 - Week of July 11, 1997

Mir-23 Special Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, July 11, 1997

Mir-23 cosmonauts Vasily Tsibliev and Aleksandr Lazutkin and U.S. astronaut Mike Foale spent most of their day conducting housekeeping chores aboard the Russian Space Station Mir and installed a pair of transmitter/receiver units that will restore the Mir's ability to communicate through the Russian Altair satellite for expanded voice, television, and data transmission capability.

Tomorrow, Russian spacewalk specialists plan to use the Altair system to discuss with the cosmonauts plans for the internal spacewalk later this month to relocate solar array power cables from the depressurized Spektr module to batteries in the Mir's Core module. The Spektr was damaged on June 25th when a Progress resupply vehicle collided with the Mir during a redocking exercise.

NASA spacewalk experts have been working in close collaboration with their Russian counterparts to fine-tune plans, timelines, and procedures for the spacewalk, which will be conducted by Tsibliev and Lazutkin. Foale will remain in the lower compartment of the Soyuz capsule during the spacewalk, in full communication with his Russian colleagues. A review of all the spacewalk plans is scheduled next week between top officials representing both the U.S. and Russian sides of the Phase One Shuttle-Mir program.

In the meantime, environmental conditions aboard the Mir remain stable and within normal ranges, with the cosmonauts reporting comfortable temperatures and humidity levels. The Elektron oxygen-generating unit in the Kvant-1 module, which was turned off for a time yesterday to allow the cosmonauts to install the transmitter/receiver equipment, was reactivated today and is functioning normally. The Elektron and the transmitter gear share the same cooling loop in the Mir. The Vozdukh system, which removes carbon dioxide from the station's atmosphere, is also working normally.

The cosmonauts plan a day of rest on Sunday before resuming their preparations on Monday for a "practice" internal spacewalk next week, in which they will use the Kvant-2 module as a rehearsal venue in place of the Spektr module.

This is the 153rd day aboard the Mir for Tsibliev and Lazutkin, who are due to be replaced by another pair of Russian cosmonauts in early August. Foale is beginning his ninth week aboard the Russian outpost. He is scheduled to be replaced by astronaut Wendy Lawrence in September.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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Mir-23 - Week of July 18, 1997

Mir-23 Special Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, July 18, 1997

The Mir Space Station is returning to normal operations after the inadvertent disconnection of a rate sensor cable late Wednesday afternoon which routes power and data to the Mir's attitude control computer. After losing its orientation to the Sun and losing power as a result, electricity has now been fully restored in the Core module, and the batteries in the Kvant-2 module are almost fully charged. Late Thursday night, the Mir's attitude control was restored, through the use of the Mir's thruster jets. Later today, after the station's batteries are fully recharged and the station thrusters can maintain a steady attitude for constant recharging, ground controllers plan to activate the automatic gyrodyne attitude control system. Gyrodyne control of the complex is expected to resume Saturday.

Once the batteries are fully recharged, the other Mir systems will also be reactivated one by one. The Vozdukh carbon dioxide removal system was put back in service this morning. Despite the accidental power loss, the Mir's environmental conditions remain within normal ranges.

Cosmonauts Vasily Tsibliev and Aleksandr Lazutkin and U.S. astronaut Mike Foale spent the day resting. The crew has been given the weekend off as well and will return to its regular work schedule Monday. Russian ground controllers will continue to monitor the improving Mir situation over the weekend.

Russian space officials reported today that they are considering an option of having the next Mir crew to be launched in August perform the internal spacewalk to relocate the solar array power cables from the damaged Spektr module to the Core module. No decision regarding that option has yet been made. The internal spacewalk has been temporarily put on hold to enable Russian controllers to restore Mir systems to full operation. Top Russian officials will decide early next week which crew will perform the spacewalk and whether French cosmonaut Leopold Eyharts (CNES) will join Mir-24 Commander Anatoly Solovyev and Flight Engineer Pavel Vinogradov as is currently scheduled for a three-week research flight. The Mir-24 crew is scheduled to launch August 5 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazhakstan.

Mir-23 cosmonauts Tsibliev and Lazutkin were launched to the Mir on February 10. Foale has begun his 10th week aboard the Russian station. He is scheduled to be replaced by astronaut Wendy Lawrence in September.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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Mir-23 - Week of July 25, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, July 25, 1997

Systems aboard the Mir Space Station remain in good working order today, and the cosmonauts, Mir-23 commander Vasily Tsibliev and flight engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin, and U.S. astronaut Mike Foale, report that they are in good condition. The commander and the flight engineer spent most of the day conducting medical evaluations in preparation for their return to Earth next month and life sciences experiments. Over the weekend the crew will continue its repairs on the gyrodyne system and will have time to relax.

Automatic attitude control of the station is being provided by eight gyrodynes. The crew will continue to repair two of the four nonfunctioning gyrodynes using available components from those systems. The addition of two more gyrodynes to the automatic attitude control system will give the station more automatic pointing margin and capability. The Mir's batteries are supplying sufficient electricity, and onboard systems are working well. The Elektron remains off to conserve power, but the Vozdukh carbon dioxide scrubber remains on. Oxygen will be provided for the Mir by tanks in the Progress resupply ship for the next several days.

Foale told Russian ground controllers today that after the crew reconfigured the ventilation system on the station to introduce warm air into the Priroda and Kristall modules, the condensation in those modules decreased. The systems in Priroda and Kristall, including the thermal control system and ventilation systems, have been turned off since the June 25 collision of the Progress resupply ship with the Mir that damaged the Spektr module and one of its solar arrays. Once the Mir-24 cosmonauts conduct an internal spacewalk next month to reconnect and relocate the solar array power cables from Spektr to the Core module, electricity will once again return to the Priroda and Kristall modules, enabling the cosmonauts to reactivate those facilities.

Foale will continue his work on the Greenhouse experiment and on the colloidal gelation (CGEL) experiment over the weekend. CGEL is studying the fundamental properties of colloids (small solid particles suspended in a fluid) in a microgravity environment.

Foale today began his eleventh week aboard the Mir Space Station. He is scheduled to be replaced by astronaut Wendy Lawrence in September following the docking of the shuttle Atlantis on the STS- 86 mission. Foale will return to Earth with Atlantis' astronauts. Tsibliev and Lazutkin have been aboard Mir since February 12. They will be replaced by Mir-24 Commander Anatoly Solovyev and Flight Engineer Pavel Vinogradov, who are scheduled to be launched on August 5. They will dock to the Mir on August 7 for a one-week handover period, enabling Tsibliev and Lazutkin to return to Earth on August 14 after 185 days in space.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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Mir-23 - Week of August 1, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, August 1, 1997

Systems aboard the Mir Space Station remain in good working order today, and the cosmonauts, Mir-23 commander Vasily Tsibliev and flight engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin, and U.S. astronaut Mike Foale report that they are in good condition. The commander and flight engineer spent a good portion of the day loading the Progress resupply vehicle with refuse from the station. On August 6, the Progress resupply vehicle will undock from the Kvant docking port to allow the Soyuz TM-26 with the Mir-24 crew, commander Anatoly Solovyev and flight engineer Pavel Vinogradov, to dock. The Soyuz TM-26 docking is scheduled for 8:23 p.m. DMT (12:23 p.m. CDT)[this was subsequently changed to 12:03 p.m. CDT] next Thursday, August 7. The Progress will then redock to the station, using the proven automatic docking system, after the Mir-23 crew in their Soyuz vehicle have returned to Earth.

Automatic attitude control of the station is being provided by 10 of 12 gyrodynes. The Mir's batteries are supplying sufficient electricity, and onboard systems are working well. The crew has spent the last few days troubleshooting the Elektron oxygen generating unit, which has cycled off when activated over the last few days. Troubleshooting work with the unit is expected to continue over the weekend. Oxygen is presently being provided for the Mir by tanks in the Progress resupply ship. The Vozdukh carbon dioxide scrubber remains on and functioning normally.

Foale continued to performed some troubleshooting on the standard interface glovebox to ensure that it is ready for the greenhouse experiments planned for next the week.

Earlier today, Foale spoke to the Boy Scouts of Virginia via ham radio. During the same orbit, Foale also used the ham radio system to speak with NASA Phase 1 Program Manager Frank Culbertson, who is in Moscow for meetings with his Russian counterparts. Culbertson discussed with Foale the plans for the next increment of a NASA astronaut living and working on the Russian space station.

On Wednesday, NASA announced that Wendy Lawrence will be replaced by Dr. David Wolf as the next astronaut to conduct a long-duration stay on Mir. The change will enable Wolf to act as a backup crew member for spacewalks planned over the next several months to repair the damaged Spektr module. Lawrence does not fit in the Orlan suit that Russian cosmonauts use for spacewalk tasks and never underwent spacewalk training. Wolf does fit in the Orlan suit and has previously undergone shuttle EVA training. Because of her knowledge and experience with Mir systems, Lawrence will still fly on the STS-86 mission, which will deliver Wolf to the Mir station and bring Foale home. The STS-86 mission is targeted for launch in late September.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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Mir-23 - Week of August 8, 1997

Mir-23 Status Report
Mission Control Center -- Korolev
Friday, August 8, 1997

Five space travelers began a one-week handover aboard the Russian Mir Space Station today following the arrival of the Mir-24 crew onboard yesterday.

With first-time Flight Engineer Pavel Vinogradov at his side, veteran Mir-24 Commander Anatoly Solovyev guided his Soyuz TM-26 capsule to a linkup with the Mir at 12:02 p.m. CDT, yesterday, about two days after the Soyuz was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Central Asia. The hatches between the two vehicles were opened at 1:32 p.m. CDT. Solovyev and Vinogradov are beginning a six-month mission expected to be highlighted by several spacewalks designed to attempt repairs to the Mir's damaged Spektr module.

Today, Mir-23 Commander Vasily Tsibliev, Flight Engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin, and U.S. astronaut Mike Foale began their one-week handover with Solovyev and Vinogradov before Tsibliev and Lazutkin depart Mir on August 14 in their Soyuz TM-25 capsule for a return to Earth after 185 days in space. Foale will remain onboard Mir with Solovyev and Vinogradov. The Mir-23 and 24 crews reviewed Mir safety procedures and the cosmonauts conducted an inventory of items on the station, and discussed the status of station systems, including the balky Elektron oxygen-generating unit in the Kvant-1 module.

Although other systems aboard the Mir remain in good working order today, the Elektron in Kvant-1 is still not operating. A second, older unit in the Kvant-2 module has been powered off since late June when electricity to Kvant-2 was curtailed because of the disconnection of solar array power cables from the damaged Spektr module. Tsibliev and Lazutkin exchanged the pressure-differential regulator and the liquid-unit component on the Elektron in Kvant-1 with similar units on the Elektron in Kvant-2, but the Elektron unit in Kvant- 1 still could not be activated. Ground controllers believe that there may be a small clog in a section of the Elektron in which an 8-millimeter-diameter pipe and a vacuum valve are welded to the shell of the station. Over the weekend ground controllers will develop procedures for the crew to clean a filter in the pressure regulator and a filter in the vacuum valve. Once the procedures are developed they will be uplinked to the crew. Another option being discussed by Russian engineers involves the use of a power cable currently aboard the Mir to route power from the Core Module to the Elektron unit in Kvant-2 so it may be used to produce oxygen until power is restored to the Kvant-1 module through the internal spacewalk planned for August 20. In the meantime, the temporary shutdown of Elektron poses no problem or threat to crew safety or mission goals. Oxygen generating canisters are being activated periodically to provide ample oxygen for the Mir. There is about a two-month supply of the canisters onboard. The Vozdukh carbon dioxide removal system remains on and is functioning normally.

Automatic attitude control of the station is being provided by 10 gyrodynes and the station's batteries are supplying sufficient electricity. Foale is beginning his thirteenth week aboard the Mir. He is scheduled to be replaced by astronaut Dave Wolf in late September during the STS-86 mission in which the shuttle Atlantis will dock to the Mir for the seventh time.

| 3/7/97 | 3/14/97 | 3/21/97 | 3/28/97 | 4/4/97 | 4/11/97 | 4/18/97 | 4/25/97 |
| 5/2/97 | 5/9/97 | 5/16/97 | 5/23/97 | 5/30/97 | 6/6/97 | 6/13/97 | 6/20/97 |
| 6/27/97 | 7/4/97 | 7/11/97 | 7/18/97 | 7/25/97 | 8/1/97 | 8/8/97 |

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