MIRNEWS.289    16 FEBRUARY 1996

3d Spacewalk (EVA) 20d Main Expedition MIR:

About this EVA on 8.02.1996 I reported in MIRNEWS.288.
Hereby some additional information:
In the beginning of the EVA Gidzenko and Reiter moved the SPK
(the motorized backpack, MMU) to the outside of Module-D
(Kvant-2). The SPK had been stowed in the airlock (Sh.S.O) of
that module and had been hindring cosmonauts during preparati
ons for EVA's. The SPK has been tested during  EVA's twice: on
1.02.1990 by Serebrov and on 5.02.1990 by Viktorenko. Though
the SPK functioned well and was very convenient it has never
been used again. The cosmonauts prefer the use of the Strela
girder during activities outside the MIR-complex.
As already reported in MIRNEWS.289 Reiter retrieved 2 casset
tes with the ESEF experiment. He also installed a new one on
the outside of the Spektr-module.
About the reason for the shortening of the EVA (3 hrs 6 mins
instead of 5 hrs 45 mins) 2 different versions circulate:
1. the work on the mechanism of a solar-array antenna had to
be cancelled due to the fact that bolts were fixed so tight
that it was not possible to unscrew them with the equipment at
their disposal; 2. there has been a pressurization problem
with the spacesuit of Gidzenko (Jonathan's Space Report nr.
275, 12.02.1996). The Press-group of Moscow's TsUP confirmed
the 1st version and strongly denied that something was wrong
with Gidzenko's spacesuit. 

Soyuz-TM23:

The launch of this ship with the reliefcrew (ME MIR nr. 21)
still on schedule for 21.02.1996 at 1233UTC.

Priroda:

Estimated launchdate: 14.04.1996. (Latest available information).

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