During the launch of Columbia on 20.06.1996 hot gasses leaked through the insulation of the rocket boosters. This might cause a month's delay in the launch of Atlantis -STS-79- 4th docking mission with Mir. During radio traffic from Mir Shannon Lucid confirmed that she takes into account the possibility that she might return in the first week of September. During the mission of Atlantis Lucid has to be relieved by John Blaha.

Soyuz-TM24: Shannon Lucid also said that the Russians still stick to the launch of this ship on 14.08.1996 with Manakov, Vinogradov and Claudie Andree-Deshays and the return of Onufriyenko and Usachov together with the French guest-cosmonaut on 30.08.1996 with the Soyuz-TM23. So possibly Lucid will be in the Mir-station during the mission of Andree-Deshays.

Progress-M32: If there will be permission for the use of the rocket Soyuz-U before 21.07.1996 this freighter will be launched from Baykonur in the night from 21 to 22.07.1996.

Just before the deadline for this report the press-service of TsUP near Moscow did not have information about changes and sticks to the original schedule: Launch Atlantis: 31.07.1996, Launch Progress-M22: night from 21. to 22. 07.1996, and Launch Soyuz-TM24: 14.08.1996.

Moscow confirmed that changes might be possible.

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