MIRNEWS.300    26 APRIL 1996

Priroda successfully docked with MIR:

After an automatic approach guided by the system Kurs Priroda
linked up with MIR complex on 26.04.1996 at 1243UTC. Quite an
achievement to aim and dock a mass of 20 tons (like a huge
locomotive) with a precision of less than milimeters. Priroda
can take a breath for a while at the forward axial dockingport
of the transitionsection (P.Kh.O.). During the first pass of
both objects for our position in MIR orbit 58195, 1235-1239UT,
it was obvious that there were no intensions to switch over to
the manual remotecontrol TORU. At 123530UTC Onufriyenko
reported that Priroda was hoovering for a while in a distance 
of 182 M and that all was going well. From that distance Priroda
started the final stage of the approach and flawlessly docked
with MIR. Just like during the whole autonomous flight the
Telemetrie transmitters of Priroda in het UHF band could be
monitored. During the passes after the docking these transmitters
remained active. Reason for this is the fact that Priroda
will remain electrically autonomous until the accomplishment
of the repositioning to the +Z axis.

On 27.04.1996 at 0800UTC Priroda will remove itself with a
manipulator arm (the Lyappa) to the +Z axis. After that operation
the airseal can be checked before the opening of the
hatches. The repositioning will take place out of our range.

A part of the cargo of Priroda consists of biological experiments
for the production of clean medical preparations and 900
KG equipment and experiments for the American astronaut
Shannon Lucid. Priroda has been equipped by a lot of equipment for
scientific research of the earth (all kinds of devices and
camera's for remotesensing) and the atmosphere.

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