| VNS TECHNOLOGY WATCH: [Mike Taylor, VNS Correspondent]
===================== [Nashua, NH, USA ]
Mir Cosmonauts Install Third Solar Array
Soviet Cosmonauts on board the Mir space station performed
extravechicular activities on June 12 and 16 to install a
third solar array on the station, increasing its power above
the original 10kw.
{AW&ST June 22, 1987}
Soviets Offer Mir For Experiments, Commercial Space Processing
The Soviet Union is offering commercial space processing and
experiments capacity on board the Mir station, marking the
latest expansion of space services it is offering on the
international marketplace. The availability of Mir was
outlined by soviet space program officials attending the
Paris air show, where a full scale mockup of the Mir was on
display and open to visitors. Soviet representatives
distributed a "consumer's guide", which provided basic data
concerning the installation and operation of foreign
experiments and systems on Mir by the cosmonaut crew.
According to the guide, experiments "shall not be admitted
to prelaunch test sites, launch sites, or the flight control
center."
Payloads brought to Mir will be carried by Soyuz TM manned
spacecraft, by unmanned Progress resupply vehicles or on
board the building block modules when they are launched.
Maximum overall dimensions of the equipment are 600mm in
diameter and 1000mm long. the weights allowed for the
hardware will be determined through individual agreements,
the Soviets said. "Handling of equipment by the Mir shall,
as a rule, be limited to assembly operations, change of
easily detached elements and switch-on/switch-off
operations," the guide said. Hardware may be installed
outside the Mir station, subject to negotiation of terms and
conditions. Commands to the payloads are provided by Mir's
onboard control system in the form of 200 ms long impulses in
the power supply.
{AW&ST June 22, 1987}
House Subcommittee Trims Funding for Space Station by $50M
The House appropriations subcommittee chaired by Rep. E
Boland (D-Mass.) approved on June 11 a $9.43 billion NASA
budget for Fiscal 1988, $51M below the amount request by
President Reagan. The subcommitte cut space station spending
by $25M with the reduction directed at support areas rather
than the primary work package hardware funds. Also deleted
were $25.8M requested to begin constructing space station
facilities. Money was added to accelerate station user
development and assist microgravity users in other areas. The
space shuttle recovery program (+$125M) and the Advanced
Communications Technology Satellite (+$70M) received the
largest increases from the subcommittee chaired by Rep. E
Boland (D-Mass.). Projects reduced by the Boland subcommittee
included commercial programs (-$8M), the National Aero-Space
Plane (-$10M), the Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (-$25M) and
the Civil Space Technology Initiative (-$15M).
{AW&ST June 22, 1987}
<><><><><><><> VNS Edition : 1348 Monday 29-Jun-1987 <><><><><><><>
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| The Third array was replace with one that was delivered to MIR
by Progess 34. During and EVA cosmonauts Vladimir Titov and
Musa Manarov replace one of the four silicon solar panels in the
3rd array with the longer life, higher power test section.
US analysts believe the test panel is made of gallium arsenide
TASS said the crew of the Sovet Long-Serving Orbit Reasearch station
MIR (PEACE), Vladimir Titov and Musa Manarov, mad a space walk
today (26/2).
They carried out assembly operationotuside the station. The cosmonauts
replaced, specifically, one of th eunits of the sun battery.
AT 12:30 Moscow time the cosmonauts open the hatch to the Airlock
and at 12:45 Moscow time stepped into raw space to replace a spent
block of the solar array.... This was nnede to sustain power supplies
to the platform.... incresasing the solar batteries efficiency...
its efficiency is 20% up on that of the previously mounted blocks...
it is now being tested at different angles assessing its efficency
at differt angles of illumination by the Sun
one strange TASS text ....WE are going to switch all the on-board
equipment to a high voltage and the new block was installed for
this purpose
john
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