MIRNEWS.415 2 APRIL 1998 1st Spacewalk (EVA) 25th Main Expedition to MIR: The EVA started (hatch opening between airlock Sh.S.O. and open space) 15 minutes later than planned at 1335UTC. Budarin needed more time to open the locks of the hatch. Also considerably later than planned, the hatch closed behind Musabayev and Budarin at 2015UTC. So a duration of 6 hrs and 40 mins. There have been reports about a duration of 4 hrs: a mistake or April 1 prank. All availble windows via the geostationary Altair-2 were used for radiotelephony. The information about the opening and closure of the hatch, taking place outside those windows, was reported by Musabayev afterwards. The cosmonauts worked energeticly. Musabayev observed Budarin, instructed him what to do and warned him if he moved to fast or came too close to obstacles. He also now and then spoke with Andy Thomas to tell him how and from where to make photographs and video. Andy regularly reported temperatures inside MIR varying between 32 and 37 degrees Celsius. (Unclear what kind of temperatures) Meanwhile the spacewalkers enjoyed the cool temperatures in their spacesuits. For their transport M. and B. used the Strela crane. The package with the handrails which they had to install at the outside of the Spektr module had been placed outside MIR during one of the EVA's of Solovyov. They spoke about the 'Solovyov package'. Unpacking, deploying and installing of these handrails lasted much longer than was expected and so there was no time left for the reinforcement of the damaged solar panel of Spektr by a beam. They also had to install 2 foot restraints for future work at Spektr. They succeeded in stalling just one of those restraints. At approx. 1912UTC there was a gruesome event: Budarin called Musabayev, but he did not get a reaction. After a few minutes the voice of M. showed up again. He reported that he had switched off the power supply of his spacesuit by accident. Thus he lost all functions: cooling, communication, ventilation, destilation, etc. After restoring the powersupply he reported sequently the good functioning of his systems. (Whether this has been a April 1 prank or not, I do not know, but it made my flesh creep). 7 Minutes after the closure of the hatch which took place at 2015UTC the window for Altair-2 communications opened again. M. reported the time of the closure. From that moment on the long sequency of repressurizing, airseal checks and post EVA activities could be monitored. Towards the end of this window the cosmonauts were back in the Base Block and they managed to transmit some video images made by Andy Thomas during the EVA. When the EVA and the repressurization were still going on, there were some VHF-windows. (As always during EVA's lower in the band, 143.618 mc) I could monitor these signals simultaneously with those via Altair-2. Due to the longer path of the signals via Altair-2 there was a very clear echo-effect. And again there was the well-known interference (a kind of cross-modulation) from an airtraffic control centre. These signals also were relayed via Altair-2. Sometimes this traffic bothered the cosmonauts. When the cosmonauts came back in the PGO (Instrument and cargo compartment) from the PNO (Instrument and scientific compartment) the applaus from the people at TsUP could be heard in the background. 2nd EVA of the 25th Mainexpedition to MIR: This EVA is scheduled for 6.04.1998 from 1155UTC for a duration of approx. 6hrs. Main task: Splinting the damaged solar panel on the Spektr module. Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.