MIRNEWS.104 16 AUGUST 1991 ACTIVITIES AFTER 6TH EVA MIRCREW: After this EVA on 27 July 1991 followed a rather silent period. But the cosmonauts had to do a lot of work: repairs and replacements. They often had to select what had to be dumped and what not. Sometimes it was difficult to make a choise, equipment no longer needed but still 100% serviceable, had to be stowed in the Progress-M8 for destruction. 'Space' on board of the spacestation is scarce. Among the depreciated systems they threw away all what was left of the approach system Igla, still on board MIR but no longer in use for they use Kurs. All units and cables had to be removed from the basis block and stowed in the Pr-M8. SERIOUS ORIENTATION PROBLEMS: A system for orientation, named S.U.D. showed a malfunction and so did the mainGyrodines. On 10 and 11 August 1991 it was impossible to correct the attitude of the complex and for a long time they flew with one side to the sun. The solarpanels did not get enough sunlight and the crew had to economize power consumption. Some systems had to be switched off. On 12 August they more or less restored the attitude control, by the use reserve gyrodines. UNDOCKING AND DECAY OF FREIGHTER PROGRESS-M8: Before undocking the crew spent many hours preparing that undocking. On 15 Aug they had a long working day: 0300 tot 2400 UTC. The freighter undocked on 16 Aug. 1991 0117 hrs Moscow time (So still 15 Aug. 2217 UTC). During passes of MIR on 16 Aug. in orbits 31451 (0245UT), 31452 (0423UT) and 31453 (0555UT) Progress-M8 still flew autonomously and transmitted on 166.140 mc and 922.755 mc. No signals any more during pass in orb. 31454 (0739UT). Moscow reported that Pr-M8 had ceased to exist. Probably Pr-M8 burnt up in the atmosphere over another area, so not over the North Pacific, for instance at about 0609UT over Siberia. No reports about an eventual returncapsule. A technician in Baykonur assured me that no such capsule was on board Progress-M8. PLANS: Before long the redocking of Soyuz-TM12 from aft to forward docking port to free the aft port (were the Kurssystem has been repaired) for the docking of freighter Progress-M9 to be launched soon. After dramatic changes S-TM launches this year, more alterations and delays can be expected. The crew complained about the fact that they have been informed insuffiently by TsUP. People in the States and Australia already knew things about MIR before the crew themselves. Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.