MIRNEWS.247    16 MARCH 1995

Flight of Soyuz-TM21:

Launch from Baykonur on 14.03.1995 at 0611UTC; docking to the
MIR-station on 16.03.1995 at 0745UTC. The crew consisting of
the captain Dezhurov, board-engineer Strekalov and the Ameri
can Norman Thagard, uses the call Uragany, so resp. Uragan-1,
2 en 3.
All went well during the 2-days flight. During the 4th and 5th
orbit S-TM21 had been corrected and the crew reported this on
121.750 mc during passes within our range. Telemetry- and
beacon-transmitters could be monitored on the well known 
frequencies (166.130, 165.873 en 922.755mc.). To communicate
with TsUP Soyuz-TM21 had to be within range of the groundsta
tions in Russia and Kazakhstan. Communications via the geosta
tionary satellites Altair and Luch-1 are only possible when an
S-TM21 is within range of the MIR-station. Then MIR can act as
a relaystation. This can be heard during the pass within our
range just before the docking. The signals from the S-TM can
be received simultanuously: directly on 121.750 mc as well as
via Altair. The images used by American TV-stations reached
them via MIR and Altair. The TV-report from S-TM21 from CNN
ceased when MIR/S-TM21 left the window for Altair. The crew of
the S-TM21 seemed to have no adaptation problems, Strekalov
and Thagard have a lot of experience, but newcomer Dezhurov
also performed his tasks well.

MIR:

The crew has been very busy with preparations for the
arrival of the so called 18th Main Expedition to MIR. Lifesup
portsystems and other vital equipment got special attention.
As usual before the oncoming return the crew had to undergo a
lot of medical checks (E.C.G.-s etc.). The crew also completed
the work with the freighter Progress-M26, due to leave the aft
docking port of the complex for that port must be available
for the docking of the Soyuz-TM21.

Progress-M26 separated from MIR on 15.03.1995 and decayed that
day in a designated area East of New Zealand at abt. 0600UTC.

Return to Earth of the 17th Main Expedition (Viktorenko,
Kondakova and Dr. Polyakov) on 22.03.1995 with the Soyuz-TM20.

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