MIRNEWS.230 29 SEPTEMBER 1994 SOYUZ-TM20: The preparations for the launch of this ship with the reliefcrew and the Euromir94 astronaut are proceeding normally. The launch from Baykonur is scheduled for 3.10.94 at 2142UTC (so for Moscow: 4.10.94 at 0042 Msc Winter Time.) If all goes well during the 2-days flight the S-TM20 will dock to the MIR complex on 6.10.94 at 0013UTC. Radiotraffic and beaconsignals from S-TM20 can be monitored in our area for the first time on 4.10.94 at abt. 0042UTC on the known frequencies. The crews on the roll are still: Aleksandr Viktorenko (comman der), Yelena Kondakova (board-engineer) and the ESA astronaut, the German Ulf Merbold. The stand-ins: Yuriy Gidzenko (comm.), Sergey Avdeyev (B.E.), and the ESA astronaut, the Spaniard Pedro Duque. If the statecommission decides to appoint the main-crew for the flight the crew of S-TM20 will use the callsign Vityaz (so Vityaz-1, 2 and 3.) MIR: The MIR-crew is preparing the station for the extension of the crew with another 3 persons. Therefore the life-support systems get special attention. The crew also modified the ASU (waste collection equipment) for the use by a lady. The crew is also busy with the loading of the freighter Pro gress-M24 with garbage and no things which are no longer needed. The Pr-M24 will have to leave the complex to free the docking port for the S-TM20. There have been plans to execute some test-approaches by the Pr-M24 after the undocking to try to unveil the causes of the malfunction of the Kurssystem during the unsuccessful docking attempts on 26 and 30.08.94. After that operation the Pr-M24 will burn up in the atmosphere over a designated area in the Pacific ocean. Pr-M24 does not carry a VBK (ballistic return capsule). Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.