MIRNEWS.393    3 NOVEMBER 1997

4th Spacewalk (EVA) crew 24th Main Expedition to MIR:

The EVA lasted from 03.32.30UTC (opening hatch) until 0937UTC (closing
hatch) , so duration 6 hrs 4 mins. The EVA began later due to a failure
in a telemetry unit of Solovyov's spacesuit. After the opening of the
hatch Vinogradov launched the minisputnik PS-2 (or: Sputnik 40 or RS-17).
Then the crew dismantled the MSB-4, the old solarpanel on Kvant-1
(module-E), which originally was installed on Kristall. They parked the
solarpanel at the outside of the Base Block.
The clamps between the segments of the solarpanel had to be opened
electrically from a keyboard inside MIR . Wolf who got instructions from
Solovyov took care of this task. He also made video- and photo-images of
his colleagues. Further they installed a cap at the outside of the Base
Block to close an outlet for a new Vozdukh CO2 scrubber. Now this outlet
has been sealed off the crew can install a valve on the inside of the
Base Block where a new Vozdukh will be installed.
Through that valve the Vozdukh can blow CO2 and water vapour into open
space. This valve will be installed on 4.11.1997. If the crew succeed
they can remove the cap from the outersurface during the next EVA on
6.11.1997. The Altair-2 satellite was scarcely used possibly due to the
fact that the area in which the cosmonauts had to work was very close to
the ONA, the Antenna for the Antares transmitter. Altair-2 was in use
before and during the return of the cosmonauts in the airlock of Module-
D. Simultanuously they communicated via the VHF channel on 143.618mc.

PS-2 (Sputnik 40 or RS-17):

During the VHF windows of MIR the transmitters of this minisputnik could
be monitored on 145.820 mc. The signals are not very strong. The use of
the reception mode USB helps a lot.

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