MIRNEWS.466    16 AUGUST 1999

Soyuz-TM29:

The return of the crew of the 27th MIR Main Expedition is still
scheduled to take place in the night from 27 to 28.08.1999.

The S-TM29 will separate from the MIR-complex on 27.08.1999 at 2112UTC.
The estimated landing time is on 28.08.1999 at 0030UTC.
(Due to the difference in local times in Russia, the operation will take
place on 28.08.99 in that country.)

Indications imminent returnflight:

During radio-communications, the main part of the subjects is related to
all that what has to be done to prepare the definitive closure of the
hatches between MIR and S-TM29.

Nevertheless the cosmonauts regularly still mention experiments on which
they are working or which have to be concluded.

On 30.07.99 Avdeyev got an answer on a question about the definitive
closure of the module Priroda. This is scheduled for 23.08.1999 with the
last possible option on 25.08.1999. Avdeyev had to know this for a lot of
equipment has to be stowed in that module during the unmanned status of
the station. Avdeyev asked TsUP what they should do in case one of the
units in Priroda had to be switched back on. TsUP said they had this
matter under control.

The crew is very active to prepare their bodies for the gravity
conditions after return, by intensive physical exercises and working with
the Chibis pressure suit.

On 13.08.99 Afanasyev and Avdeyev had a long conversation with ex-
cosmonaut and RKK Energiya training chief, Aleksandr Pavlovich
Aleksandrov, in which they exchanged congratulations for an anniversary.
Aleksandrov had tried to gather a great number of RKK's employees to be
present during this conversation, but most of them had left for their
dacha's or other nice places, while others attended a meeting at NASA
about the ISS. Possibly the anniversary was the 43rd one of RKK
Energiya, originally founded as OKB-1 on 14.08.1956. One of the subjects
during this conversation was the place where Afanasyev and Avdeyev
would be during their rehabilition period. They will undergo this
rehabilitation in different places: Avdeyev in Kislovodsk, Afanasyev at
the Black sea beach.

Solar eclipse on 11.08.1999:

That day the MIR-station crossed the shadow of the total eclipse 2
times. The first time this was in orbit 77011 (at about 1000UTC) and in
orbit 77012 (the second at about 1145UTC). Between 1010 and 1021UTC,
when a partial eclipse could be observed over here in the Netherlands,
Afanasyev was reporting his observations.
Just after AOS (Acquisition of Signal), he told TsUP that was continuing
his camera work. While he saw the horizon, he could see the shadow of
the eclipse moving over the earth in the direction of that horizon. He
met with some problems due to a structure blocking his sight. Sometimes
he changed the position of his video camera. Avdeyev added to these
reports that he saw Europe under the shadow. Afanasyev went to a window
in the Base Block to make better images.
At 1020UTC MIR started to send the recorded images to earth via a UHF-
channel.
Afanasyev and Avdeyev did not see the sun itself during the eclipse
through their windows. Haignere had more luck and could see the eclipse
itself, as well as the shadow. During the pass in orb. 77012 at 1147UTC
he enthousiastically reported his observations.

Perseids:

I did not hear anything about eventual observations by the MIR crew of
this yearly meteorite stream.

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