glenn@VLSI.LL.MIT.EDU (Glenn Chapman) (12/23/89)
The Soviet Union's Progress M-2 cargo craft successfully docked with the
Mir orbital complex today (Dec. 22) according to Radio Moscow. The Progress,
which was launched on Dec. 20th at 6:31 am Moscow Time (10:31 pm EST), carries
about 2.5 Tonnes of food/water/fuel and equipment to the station. It is also
the first craft to dock with Mir in the new mode with the Kvant 2 module
positioned to the side of the station. This should make the combined mass of
the station complex at about 70.5 Tonnes.
One of the main events of this Progress launch is the addition of a
protein crystal growth experiment which is paid for Payload Systems, a
Cambridge, MA based space materials processing company. These experiments
take several weeks of zero G growth to crystallize samples for materials
processing (hence the need for Mir space station processing). The cosmonauts
will bring the samples back with them on Feb. 19th when they return from Mir.
Meanwhile cosmonauts Alexander Viktorenko and Alexander Serebrov have
finished successfully activating the Kvant 2 module. The last task was to
degrease the VIKA (called electron in the west) system which generates oxygen
by electrolysis of water. This should enhance their life support system and
reduce some of the supply needs. TV pictures from within the module show it
to be spacious but with a large number of boxes floating around. These must
contain equipment for future experiments. Photos out the port hole showed the
solar panels of Kvant 2. The cosmonauts have also started a new series of
X-ray telescope observations upon supernova remnants from the Kvant 1
astrophysical module. Viktorenko and Serebrov have now been up there for 108
days. By the way the most experienced US astronaut is currently in 25th place
on the list of time spent in zero G. (TASS Dec.19,20, Radio Moscow and Vremya
- Moscow TV news of several days).
So the first real commercial activity on board Mir has begun. In a few
months we shall see if Payload Systems is getting the results that make it
worth while to seek a steady commercial contract with the Russians.
Glenn Chapman
MIT Lincoln Lab