Andre-Deshays

---

17 August 1996 13:18 GMT. Landing Date: 1996-09-02 07:42:00 PM. Flight Time: 15.77 days. Alternate Name: Soyuz TM-24 (Andre-Deshays). Flight Up: Soyuz TM-24. Flight Back: Soyuz TM-23. Call Sign: Fregat (Frigate ). Crew: Andre-Deshays. Backup Crew: Eyharts. Program: Mir. Aboard Soyuz TM-24 were Valeriy Korzun and Aleksandr Kaleri of the Russian Space Agency (RKA) and Claudie Andre-Deshays of the French space agency CNES. This launch was the first of the Soyuz-U booster with a crew aboard following two launch failures of on unmanned flights. Soyuz docked with Mir's front port at 14:50:21 GMT on August 19; Mir was in a 375 x 390 km x 51.6 deg orbit.

The Soyuz TM-23 spacecraft, with Andre-Deshays aboard, undocked on September 2 at 04:20 GMT, and made a small seperation burn at 04:24:40 GMT. Deorbit was at 06:47:20 GMT . The three modules separated at 07:14:36 and the parachute deployed at 07:26 GMT. The landing was at 07:41:40 GMT, 100 km SW of Akmola in Kazakstan with Yuri Onufrienko, Yuriy Usachyov and Claudie Andre-Deshays aboard. This concluded the French 'Cassiopee' mission.

• 1996 Aug 17 - Soyuz TM-24  Crew: Andre-Deshays, Kaleri, Korzun. Spacecraft: Soyuz TM. Payload: Soyuz TM 11F732 s/n 73. Mass: 7,150 kg (15,760 lb). Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz. Duration: 196.73 days. Perigee: 378 km (234 mi). Apogee: 394 km (244 mi). Inclination: 51.70 deg. Period: 92.30 min.

  Mir Expedition EO-22. Valeriy Korzun and Aleksandr Kaleri of the Russian Space Agency (RKA) Claudie Andre-Deshays of the French space agency CNES. This launch was the first of the Soyuz-U booster with a crew aboard following two launch failures of on unmanned flights. Soyuz docked with Mir's front port at 14:50:21 GMT on August 19; Mir was in a 375 x 390 km x 51.6 deg orbit.

  On Feb 7 at 16:28:01 GMT the EO-22 crew and American astronaut Linenger undocked the Soyuz TM-24 ferry from the front docking port, flew it around to the far side of the complex and redocked at the rear Kvant port at 16:51:27 GMT. This cleared the forward port for the arrival of the EO-23 crew, who brought with them German astronaut Reinhold Ewald on Feb 12.

• 1996 Aug 18 - Mir News 323: Soyuz-TM24 successfully launched for flight to Mir 

  The Soyuz-TM24 has been launched with the carrier Soyuz-U from Baykonur on 17.08.1996 at 13.18.03 UTC. Soyuz-TM24 reached the planned orbit without problems and all systems worked well. Already during the pass in the 2d orbit the ship came in our range (1620-1623 UTC) and radio signals could be monitored. Korzun, commander of this 22 Main Expedition, who makes his first flight, reported that they had moved from the SA (landing-apparatus) into the BO (life compartment) and that they had put off their spacesuits. The crew made preparations for the 1st orbit correction which was planned for 16.57.43 UTC. During the pass in the 3d orb. (1749-1756 UTC) the 2d orbit correction was accomplished: 175021 UTC. Korzun reported the good performance of these operations during this pass. During the 4th orbit (1923-1930 UTC) again a lot of radio traffic. 2 times the TCA's (Time Closest Approach) could be determined monitoring the Doppler shift on 922.755 mc: 3d orb. at 175222 UTC and 4th orb. 192520 UTC. In the morning of 18.08.1996 Flight control confirmed that all crew members were in a good health and mood. Due to the use of the carrier Soyuz-U instead of the more powerful Soyuz-U2 the Russians had to reduce the mass of crew and material. So they refrained from the use of Kurs, the device for automatic approach and docking. This means that Korzun will have to approach and dock in the manual mode. The docking is on schedule for 19.09.1996 at 1449 UTC. During the final phase of the docking operation both objects are within our range. (Mir's orb. 59981, 1437-1443 UTC) and radio traffic about this operation might be possible on the Mir and Soyuz-TM24 frequencies.

  Progress-M32: This freighter separated from Mir on 18.08.1996 at 0934 UTC. The autonomous flight of the Progress-M32 will last until 3.09.1996.

  Soyuz-TM23: Return to earth of relieved crew of ME 21 (Onufriyenko and Usachov) and Claudie Andre-Deshays with the Soyuz-TM23 has been put back until 2.09.1996.

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

• 1996 Aug 19 - Mir News 324: Soyuz-TM24 docked at Mir 

  The Soyuz-TM24 docked at Mir on 19.08.1996 at 14.50.21 UTC. Approach and docking took place in the automatic mode with the system Kurs. This in contradiction to the information about Kurs in MirNEWS.323. This information came from a usually reliable source who possibly misinterpreted a message of a press-agency. Radio traffic during the passes after the successful docking revealed that the new crew and Claudie Andre-Deshays still were in good health and mood after the 2-days flight. A very cheerful Claudie told a countryman at TsUP that she will use the module Priroda as her guest-room. Shannon Lucid is staying in the module Spektr.

  Soyuz-TM23: This ship will return to earth on 2.09.1996 with the relieved crew of ME 21 and Claudie.

  Progress-M32: This freighter is flying in a somewhat higher orbit than Mir. Progress-M32 will redock at Mir on 3.09.1996.

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

• 1996 Sep 2 - Mir News 325: Soyuz-TM23 returned to earth 

  The descent module of the ship Soyuz-TM23 with on board the crew of the 21st ME and the 'spacionaute' Claudie Andre-Deshays landed safely on 2.09.1996 at 07.41.40 UTC in a position 105 KM South West of Akmola in Kazakhstan. The condition of the 3 cosmonauts was excellent and they will fly to Chkalovo (near Starcity, Moscow) today.

  0110 UTC: The hatch behind the departing cosmonauts was closed.

  0417 UTC: Soyuz-TM23 separated from Mir to begin a short autonomous flight.

  The aimed landing position was in a distance of 107 KM from Tselinograd in Kazakhstan with an estimated landing time of 07.41.03 UTC. (So they landed 37 sec. later in another position).

  Progress-M32: This freighter is still flying autonomously. Redocking to the Mir complex is on schedule for 3.09.1996 at abt. 0755 UTC.

  Chris v.d. Berg, NL-9165/A-UK320.

• 1996 Sep 2 - Landing of Soyuz TM-23 

  The spacecraft undocked on September 2 at 04:20 GMT, and made a small seperation burn at 04:24:40 GMT. Deorbit was at 06:47:20 GMT. The three modules separated at 07:14:36 and the parachute deployed at 07:26 GMT. The landing was at 07:41:40 GMT, 100 km SW of Akmola in Kazakstan with Yuri Onufrienko, Yuriy Usachyov and Claudie Andre-Deshays aboard. This concluded the French 'Cassiopee' mission.