MIRNEWS.216

Soyuz-TM19:

The launch of this ship had been put back several
times due to problems with the production of the fairing for
the protection of S-TM19 during the first fase of the launch.
Now this launch from Baykonur is on schedule for 1.07.94 at
abt. 1224UTC. If all goes well S-TM19 will dock to the MIRcomplex
(aft, Kvant-2 docking port) 2 days later.
This ship will ferry the reliefcrew, Malenchenko and Musabayev,
to MIR. On 9.07.94 the present crew Afanasyev and Usachov
will return to earth with the Soyuz-TM18. Dr. Polyakov
will remain on board to reach a place in the Guiness Book of
Records after a stay of 429 days in space.

Kazakhstan insists upon the fact that Musabayev will make his
spaceflight as a representative of Kazakhstan for he is a
native of that country. The Russians agreed with that, but
told Kazakhstan that this means that Musabayev will fly as a
foreign guestcosmonaut and that Kazakhstan has to pay for that
just like western countries have to pay for their cosmonauts.
Kazakhstan cannot afford this.

Progress-M23:

Before Soyuz-TM19 can dock to the aft docking
port the freighter Pr-M23 has to undock from there. If all
goes well on board S-TM19 after launch Pr-M23 will separate
from MIR on 2.07.94. The retuncapsule (VBK) of Pr-M23 has to
make a soft landing somewhere in Kazakhstan.

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