In the morning of Monday 18.08 Mir transmitted to Earth video films and images made during the redocking of Soyuz-TM26 on 15.08. These transmissions took place during a Mir-Altair-2 window between 0542-0628 UTC. At 0601 UTC the crew stopped transmitting images and switched over to the co-ordination of IVA preparations with TsUP. During these activities the IVA was still scheduled for 20.08. This day Progress-M35 returned to the complex and docked at the aft docking port at 12.52.47 UTC. 10 Seconds later both objects disappeared behind the eastern horizon.

Radio traffic during the beginning of the final phase of the docking operation went via Altair-2. Progress-M35 was at a distance of 800 M from Mir and the approach speed was 11.31 cm/sec. The crew of Mir observed the approaching supply-ship on a display of the LIV camera. A few minutes before the objects came in my range Altair-2 had been switched off and at 1246 UTC traffic went on via 143.625mc. S. reported distances and approach speeds. At 125045 UTC the distance was 12 M. At a distance of appr. 4 M. at 125156 UTC Kurs did not work. (Later on it turned out that Kurs had switched itself off at a distance of 20 M due to an irregularity in the attitude of Mir).

After the docking of Progress-M35 I did not get time to relax for Geoff Perry told me that TsUP just had informed the press about a failure of the main OBC of Mir, the Ts.V.M.-1. Very often such failures happened before and it always causes a breakdown of the SUD (attitude control). The SUD is responsible for the good functioning of the gyrodynes and consequently these gyroscopes cry off. Commander Solovyov experienced a Ts.V.M.-1 failure in 1995 when he and Budarin made an autonomous flight with Soyuz-TM21 during the departure of Atlantis from Mir. S. immediately docked his ship, went aboard Mir and restored the Ts.V.M.-1.

During all available passes in the evening Mir and TsUP discussed the problems. A specialist on Earth uttered the possibility that there was something wrong with the Ts.M.O. (central exchange module), an interface of the Ts.V.M.-1. He told the crew how to find that module and he gave them instructions for the repair. Foale told one of his countrymen in Moscow about his experiences during the final approach of Progress-M35. Through the viewer of his video camera he saw the Progress-M35 coming in very fast and he realised that something was wrong. He said: oh, no not again.. At that moment Progress-M35 slowed down and stopped and Solovyov took over manually.

Foale emphasised that Progress-M35's computer had switched off Kurs due to divergence in the attitude of Mir. This was for Solovyov the signal to switch over to manual control. S. performed a perfect docking: in fact the Kurs system as well as the TORU remote control worked well. Situation in the evening of 19.08.97: The crew used the Soyuz-TM26 for the stabilisation of Mir's attitude and in the course of 19.08 the solar panels delivered twice as much energy as they did on 18.08. Meanwhile the Ts.V.M.-1 has been repaired and was ready for tests. At this point it was not known whether attitude control of the complex was provided by gyrodynes. .

The crew resumed preparations for the IVA now planned for Friday 22.08.97 or Saturday 23.08.97. ECG's of the 'spacewalkers' have been transmitted to Earth and Solovyov as well as Vinogradov had already put on their spacesuits and checked the communication facilities and the electrical contacts of these suits.

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