MIRNEWS.443    25 OCTOBER 1998

Progress-M40:

This freighter blasted off from Baykonur on 25.10.1998 at 04.14.57UTC.

The first telemetry signals in the 166 and 165 mc bands could be monitored
between 0850 and 0852UTC. This was during the pass for the Hague in orbit nr. 3.

During the following pass in orb. 4, 1019-1026UTC, the elevation for my
position was 79 degrees and so the signals in the 166 and 165 mc bands and the
transmitter on 922.755 mc were loud and clear. TCA (Time Closest Approach) was
at 10.21.34UTC.

Progress-M39:

Today (UTC) this old freighter has to leave the aft docking port (Kvant-1, -X-
axis) to free this port for Pr-M40. The undocking is scheduled for 25.10.1998
at 2300UTC. Pr-M39 will not immediately fly away from MIR, but will remain for
a while and execute a number of manoeuvres. During this operation the
cosmonauts will execute experiments and make video images via a porthole. This
will take place on 26.10.1998 between 0103-0108UTC when the distance between
MIR and Progress-M39 is shortest. After 0108UTC the Pr-M39 will get the fly
away impuls and after a few orbits she will decay over a designated area of the
Pacific east of New-Zealand.

Docking Progress-M40 at MIR:

The docking at the aft (Kvant-1, -X-axis) port of MIR is sheduled for
27.10.1998 at 0539UTC. This will be 4 minutes after both objects disappeared
behind our (the Hague's) eastern horizon and after LOS (Loss of signal) of
the pass in orbit 72476, between 0503 and 0535UTC, with an elevation of only 2
degrees.

Chris van den Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.