MIRNEWS.103    27 JULY 1991

6th EXTRA VEHICULAR ACTIVITY MIR-CREW:

This EVA has been executed according to plans on 27 July 1991. The hatch opened
at 0844UTC and abt. 1520UTC this was closed behind the returned cosmonauts. Thus
they successfully concluded the series of 4 EVA-s dedicated to the Sofora
platform experiment. (It was their 6th EVA during this expedition). Already on
25 July 1991 the crew told correspondents on TsUP what they had to do during the
EVA on 27 July 1991:
1. to extend to the planned length of the Sofora mast construction.
2. to put this construction in a vertical position and tighten it.
3. the disconnection and the retrieval of the TV-camera attached to a solar
battery. This camera was used for an experiment (how it could used in open
space) and shooting images of the activities of the crew during these 4 EVA-s.
After retrieval they had to examine the outer filter of that camera for eventual
damages by micro-meteorites.
Immediately at 0844UTC the guests in TsUP were surprised by the appearance of 3
instead of 2 cosmonauts! Everbody knew that there were only 2 men on board. A
lugubrious joke? Soon they got an explanation: a depriciated spacesuit had to be
dumpted in space. So work for Norad to discover, locate and log a new space
object. And the green fellows on board UFO-s will be very happy to be able to
grab, what they suppose to be, a creature from earth without the risk to get
stuck in Holland's clay. Now back to bussiness:
The cosmonauts fully performed their program. Artsebarskiy however, inserted an
extra activity. Often correspondents spoke about a 14 Meters high construction
like a 5 stock-building. So after concluding the erection of the Sofora they had
to rise a flag. Artsebarskiy chose the Soviet State Flag (for a while this is
still possible). So Artsebarskiy, party-member, assisted by the non-party member
Krikalyov, solemnly rose this flag.
Radiotraffic during 4 passes was extremely interesting and almost sensational.
Before entering the station Krikalyov had to retrieve the TV-camera. The huge
contact of the cable on the MIR surface had to be loosened, but Krikalyov did
not succeed. To leave the camera there until September in his opinion was not a
good idea and so he disconnected the cable on the camera itself.
During the next pass the crew was in the airlock (Sh.S.O.) to equalise the
pressure, check the airseal and get out of the spacesuits. All with an admirable
discipline, good coordination and skill. The following pass they already were
preparing their meal.

note: Reactions confirmed that these reports are very interesting for those
interested in spaceflight. Our media use to neglect that what is going on in and
outside MIR. So the only way to reach thankful readers is to use B.B.S.-s (for
instance the Dutch Fido NOS and packet radio nodes.) Please: do all what is
possible to give this information a world wide circulation.

Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.