MIRNEWS.107   12 SEPTEMBER 1991

MIR CREW: NORMAL ROUTINE.

MIR passes again during early evening hours and during 2 or 3 passes we have
radiotraffic. Conversations about routine work, the adjustment of the stations
attitude, repairs and the inventarisation of equipment to be sure what can be
jettisoned or not. On Sept. 10th they celebrated the 35th birthday of
Artsebarskiy. He was yearning for a cold beer.

FLIGHT OF SOYUZ-TM13: All available sources still are sure that the flight with
an Austrian and a Kazakh will take place on 2 October 1991.

RUMOURS ABOUT SELLING OUR MIR DENIED:

Long after the first erucations and the consequent premature comments,
Washington and Moscow published clear statements. Representatives of Glavkosmos,
visiting Washington indeed uttered the possibility to sell satellites and
equipment. (Glavkosmos always does!). Glavkosmos is a state organisation for
promotion, liaison, preparing contracts a.s.o., but has nothing to do with the
exploitation of the MIR station. Washington denied that they had plans to
purchase Soviet space equipment. In Moscow the Chief of NPO Energiya, member
state committee manned spaceflight, Yuriy Semyonov, declared that the seling
out of the MIR station was out of the question. MIR's exploitation is in the
hands of NPO Energiya and some other NPO-s. He confirmed that the Russians hope
to use MIR as much as possible for international scientific work for which
agreements are needed. The preparing of such agreements can be a task for
Glavkosmos.

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