MIRNEWS.249    6 APRIL 1995

PROGRESS-M27:

On 9.04.1995 at 2133UTC this freighter will be launched from
Baykonur for a flight to the MIR-spacestation.
If all goes according to plan the ship will dock at the for
ward (P.Kh.O.) port on 11.04.1995 at abt 2058UTC. Approach and
docking will be in the automatic mode by the system Kurs. The
captain of MIR is ready to take over manually by the TORU
system in case of problems during the automatic approach.

ALTERATIONS:

During the MIR's pass over here during orb. 52158, on 5.04.95
TsUP informed the crew about some alterations of the recent
planning:
1. Immediately after the arrival of Pr-M27 the cosmonauts will
have to work on the gyrodynes. This on request by the Ameri
cans. In their opinion the complex needs 12 well functioning
gyrodynes. This means that the first EVA planned for 28.04.95
will be put back to the beginning of May, possibly to 1.05.95. 
2. The launch of the module Spektr on schedule for 10.05.95
has been put back to 20.05.95. One of the causes of this delay
is the installation of equipment on Spektr to make the use of
the system TORU by the MIR-crew possible if during the docking
operation the automatic system Kurs fails.
3. Though not confirmed thusfar the delay of the launch of the
Spektr might also put back the launchdate of the Atlantis for
the dockingmission by appr. 10 days.

GFZ-1:

Progress-M27 also has to deliver to the MIR-complex the
normal cargo (food, fuel, water, spareparts, experiments,
etc.) a small satellite named GFZ-1. GFZ-1 is a spherical
satellite with a mass of 20 KG and a diameter of appr. 20 CM.
GFZ-1 has been constructed by the German firm Kayser-Threde
(Munchen) and will be used by the Geoforschungszentrum Potzdam
for geodetic experiments by laserreflectors. GFZ-1 makes it
possible to deliver highly accurate measurements of the
Earth's gravitation field. Shortly the MIR-crew will launch
GFZ-1 for its autonomous flight of appr. 2 years.

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