The launch of this freighter is on schedule for the midst of November. The exact date has not yet been set. The delay has been caused by problems in the delivery of the Soyuz-U carrier.

First EVA:

If Progress-M33 will be launched as planned and the docking at the Mir station will be successful, the crew of the 22d Main Expedition to Mir will make the first spacewalk (EVA) on 21.11.1996. During this EVA the cosmonauts will have to deploy and connect cables for a new solar panel.

Radio-amateur traffic: The repeater of the radio amateur installation in the Priroda module is fully operational and traffic can be monitored almost every pass on frequency 437.950 mc (+ and - for Doppler shift). The crew uses 145.550 mc for own phone contacts. The Russians use the call R0Mir; John Blaha uses his official call KC5TZQ. Valeriy Korzun expects to get his own Russian call in the future. 145.550 mc is still in use for packet radio traffic.

Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK3202.