The ballistic missile division informed command headquarters that as many as 14 Thor boosters would be available during the calendar year for special purpose flights. These were tentatively allocated as follows: three were assigned to Phase I "Able" series flights, six were assigned to the program for recoverable satellites, and five were assigned to Phase II "Able" for continued development leading to a Thor ICBM capability. (For a time Thor plus a second stage and warhead was considered as a means of acquiring an early emergency ICBM inventory well ahead of Atlas and Titan.) However, only eight additional launchings could be scheduled through 1958--three for Phase I "Able", three for recoverable satellites to be launched one a month beginning in October, and two in support of Phase II "Able" precisely guided reentry vehicles. Thus this appeared to be the maximum effort possible in the category of space related experimental flights essential to a more advance program. If a greater effort was desirable it would be necessary to obtain additional launching facilities, a problem that might be quickly and easily solved by modifying Navaho launch stands to accept Thor vehicles. (Msg, WDT 2-7E, AFBMD to ARDC, 11 Feb 58.)

Space Task Group and Army Ballistic Missile Agency personnel met at Huntsville, Alabama, to discuss Redstone and Jupiter flight phases of Project Mercury. During the course of the meeting the following points became firm: (1) Space Task Group was the overall manager and technical director of this phase of the program, (2) ABMA was responsible for the launch vehicle until spacecraft separation, (3) ABMA was responsible for the Redstone launch vehicle recovery (this phase of the program was later eliminated since benefits from recovering the launch vehicle would have been insignificant), (4) Space Task Group was responsible for the spacecraft flight after separation, (5) McDonnell was responsible for the adapters for the Mercury-Redstone configuration, and (6) ABMA would build adapters for the Mercury-Jupiter configuration. Because many points could only be settled by detailed design studies, it was decided to establish several working panels for later meetings.

ASPO directed Grumman to provide an abort guidance system (AGS) in the LEM using an inertial reference system attached to the structure of the vehicle. Should the spacecraft's navigation and guidance system fail, the crew could use the AGS to effect an abort. Such a device eliminated the need for redundancy in the primary guidance system (and proved to be a lighter and simpler arrangement).

A drop test at EI Centro, Calif., demonstrated the ability of the drogue parachutes to sustain the ultimate disreefed load that would be imposed upon them during reentry. (For the current CM weight, that maximum load would be 7,711 kg (17,000 lbs) per parachute.) Preliminary data indicated that the two drogues had withstood loads of 8,803 and 8,165 kg (19,600 and 18,000 lbs). One of the drogues emerged unscathed; the other suffered only minor damage near the pocket of the reefing cutter.

Titan IIIA, Vehicle #3, was launched from Cape Canaveral. In a maneuverability test involving three separate orbits, the Transtage and two satellites were successfully placed into their programmed orbits. The primary objective of the mission was the triple ignition of the Transtage engine that was required for the three separate orbits. When it placed the Lincoln Experimental Satellite (LES-1) into orbit, the vehicle became the first Titan III to inject an operational payload into orbit. Lincoln Experimental Satellite; communications experiments. Space craft engaged in investigation of spaceflight techniques and technology (US Cat A).

Headquarters USAF informed AFSC that both the Precision Recovery Including Maneuvering Reentry (PRIME) and PILOT low-speed reentry vehicle program development plans had been approved. PRIME, PILOT, the Aerothermodynamic/ Elastic Structural Systems Environmental Tests (ASSET) program, and Advanced Maneuvering Entry were all new projects within the Spacecraft Technology and Advanced Reentry Tests (START) program managed by Space Systems Division.

The possibility of an unmanned LM landing was discussed at NASA Hq. The consensus was that such a landing would be a risky venture. Proposals had been made which included an unmanned LM landing as a prerequisite to a manned landing on the moon. However, the capability to land the LM unmanned did not exist and development of the capability would seriously delay the program.

The Ye-8 and N1 are on schedule for their respective launches. Kamanin discusses the cosmonaut training curriculum with Kerimov. No one has ever defined what it is cosmonauts are actually supposed to do in space. No one really knows what their purpose is --- not Keldysh, not Mishin, not Smirnov, not Ustinov. Kerimov agrees to put together a state commission to define the role of man in space and draw up plans for future space missions.

The newest addition to the Titan III series, the Titan IIIE/Centaur - a meld of Air Force and NASA technology, suffered a partial failure in its first flight test from Cape Canaveral. The Titan/Centaur vehicle will be used as the launch vehicles for NASA's Viking Mars Lander in 1975 and for the United States-German Helios program.

Continued operation of the long-range telephone and telegraph radio-communication system within the Soviet Union and transmission of USSR central television programmes to stations in the Orbita and participating international networks (international cooperation scheme).

Production of the four 37KS modules was approved following review of the draft projects. The four modules would be placed into orbit by a Proton launch vehicle. An FGO tug section, connected to the 37KS module by a light lattice structure, would rendezvous with the Mir station and dock the module to one of the radial ports of the Mir station. It would then separate and deorbit itself into the earth's atmosphere. The plan was that production of all of the modules would be completed in 1984. They would be assembled with the Mir base block in one year and have an operational lifetime of five years.

Kiku 3 (ETS-IV). Launching organization NASDA. Acquisition of the technology to handle a large-scale heavy satellite and test of the functions of on-board equipment and devices, as well as confirmation of the launching capacity of the N-II launch vehicle. Also tested ion thruster.

Manned two crew. Mir Expedition EO-06. Docked with Mir. Transported to the Mir orbital station a crew comprising the cosmonauts A Y Solovyov and A N Balandin to conduct an extensive programme of geophysical and astrophysical research, experiments on biology and biotechnology and work on space materials science.

Japanese Research Satellite-1. JERS-1 (FUYO-1). To verify functions and performance of optical sensors and a Synthetic Aperture Radar and to establish an integrated system for observing the Earth's resources; to perform observations and measurements for land survey, agriculture, forest ry, fishery, environmental preservation, disaster prevention and coastal surveillance. Launch time 0150 GMT. Launching organization NASDA. The Japanese Fuyo-1 (ERS-1) satellite failed on Oct 12, 1998 after six years of operation.

For a period of almost a fortnight Mir passed over here during the night hours and this meant radio silence on 143.625 mc. Now we again can monitor traffic during the evening hours. 145.550 mc remained active all the time, mainly with Packet radio. During the first passes this week the Mir crew spoke with their colleagues Manarov (U2Mir), Volkov (U4Mir) and Artsebarskiy (U7Mir) in Russia and Tognini in France. These contacts were in the Russian language and they used their operational call sign 'Derbenty'. The 145.550 mc was also in use on board of the space shuttle Discovery (STS-60) during the flight of the Russian 'astronaut' Krikolyov, who got permission for the temporary use of his own call sign U5Mir. The contacts between Discovery and Mir took place out of our range. On 8.02.94 they communicated via TDRS-es and the first direct contact on VHF took place on 10.02.94. During the night and early morning of 10.02.94 both objects regularly passed within our range during overlaps of their footprints.

Schedule for operations with Progress-M freighters:

Progress-M22: Launch on 16.03.94, docking with Mir on 18.03.- 94. This freighter does not carry a VBK (ballistic return capsule). Progress-M21: Separation from Mir on 17.03.94 if Progress-M22 is in the right orbit and functioning normally. Progress-M21 has no VBK on board. Progress-M23: Launch on 18.03.94, docking to Mir at 20.04.94. This freighter carries a VBK. Progress-M22: Separation from Mir on 19.05.94 if all is going well with Progress-M23. A schedule for the freighters after Progress-23 has been published, but data might be subject to changes. The transport ship Soyuz-TM19, had to be launched on 24.06.94, but this launch has been put forward to 20.06.94, docking to Mir on 22.06.94. The first crew consisted of Malenchenko, Musabayev and Strekalov. Strekalov had to return with the relieved Afanasyev and Usachov after 12 days. Possibly Strekalov will fly with Soyuz-TM21 together with Dezhurov and an American cosmonaut on 01.03.95.

American 'cosmonauts': 2 American astronauts had to arrive in Starcity near Moscow on one of these days to begin with their training for a flight as 'cosmonaut'. Due to technical reasons their departure has been postponed for 1 or 2 weeks.

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

The rendezvous operation got sufficient attention in the media. So I refrain from repeating the extensively published facts. I monitored as much as possible radio traffic related to the rendezvous. Here some items which might be interesting for insiders and 'real spaceflight freaks': 1. During the rendezvous TV transmissions from Mir with images of Discovery were relayed via Altair, the Russian TDRS over 17 degs. West. These transmissions reached K.S.C. and Houston and have been widely used by TV-organisations, for instance CNN. As soon as the windows for Mir-Altair traffic closed the new Luch-1 over 97 degrees East and a number of Russian tracking stations took over. 2. Co-operation and co-ordination between both FCC-s (Houston and Kaliningrad) went smoothly. 3. For direct radio contact between Mir and Discovery the VHF- channels 121.750 and 130.1625MC -in fact Mir-channels- were in use. Vladimir Titov also used a handset for communications in the ham band: 145.325 and 145.625Mc. Before and after the rendezvous operation Mir and Discovery now and then used Altair and TDRS channels for contact with each other. 4. Regularly commentators emphasised the fact that the operation was a rehearsal for the docking operation of Atlantis in June 1995. This rehearsal was a success: Discovery remained stable on the closest approach of 10 M just in a position opposite to the docking port of the Kristall-module to be used by Atlantis for the docking. Before that docking the Russians will have to move the Kristall from the side- to the axial forward docking port of the transition section.

Radio traffic during the days before the launch of Discovery and before the rendezvous: A lot of traffic was related to the preparations of the rendezvous. For the Mir-crew this meant a lot of work to install TV- and Photo camera's and training in communication procedures. Conversations about these subjects could be monitored during communication sessions via Altair. Also via Altair the Mir-crew regularly spoke with cosmonaut Titov on K.S.C. where he was waiting for the launch.

After the rendezvous: Unfortunately the passes of Mir and Discovery for our position occurred during the night hours and the cosmonauts stuck to their normal day- and night routine. This made it impossible for us to monitor direct radio traffic between Mir and Discovery being not far from each other for a long time. During all possible windows for visual observations dense clouds made these observations impossible.

Mir-routine now: Now the Russians are again among themselves. This will not often be the case in 1995 and 1996. (To be continued in the next MirNEWS).

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

After a spectacular night launch, the Shuttle completed its rendezvous with Hubble Space Telescope on February 13. Over the next four days five spacewalks were undertaken to renovate Hubble.

The Hubble Space Telescope was released back into orbit at 06:41 GMT on February 19. Discovery landed on Runway 15 at Kennedy Space Center at 08:32 GMT on February 21.

On an extremely successful mission the space shuttle Endeavour deployed the 61 metre long STRM mast. This was a side-looking radar that digitally mapped with unprecedented accuracy the entire land surface of the Earth between latitudes 60 deg N and 54 deg S. Sponsors of the flight included the US National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), NASA, and the German and Italian space agencies. Some of the NIMA data would remain classified for exclusive use by the US Department of Defense.

Mobile Telephony satellite. Return to flight after GEM solid booster failure on GBI launch. Launch delayed from February 8, 9 and 10. Five Motorola Iridium satellites were launched for Iridium Satellite LLC, the new company that bought out the bankrupt Iridium LLC. This was the first system replenishment launch since the bankruptcy.

Columbia debris recovery efforts continued today centered in areas of eastern Texas and western Louisiana. More than 1,600 recovered items are at Barksdale Air Force Base, Shreveport, La. Barksdale is the central field collection point for debris being shipped to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Fla., to begin Shuttle Columbia reconstruction. Additional Details: here....

Solar Dynamics Observatory. The Centaur AV-021 upper stage moved from an initial 175 km x 3706 km x 28.7 deg parking orbit to a 2480 km x 35369 km x 28.6 deg transfer orbitand then released the satellite, which used its own R4D thruster to reach geosynchronous orbit.

Flock-1 satellites, 3U Dove-class Earth imaging cubesats, for the San Francisco based company PlanetLabs, were deployed by the ISS JEM RMS at about 08:31 GMT on February 11. By February 15 all 16 satellites from the first Nanoracks bag had been ejected; by 19 February all of the Flock-1 satellites had been ejected.

Fourth flight of the Vega booster. The AVUM 4th stage entered a 76 km x 416 km x 5.4 deg orbit at 13:53 GMT. ESA's Intermediate Experimental Vehicle was a reentry vehicle designed to study hypersonic aerothermodynamics. The IXV reentered over the Pacific at 14:44 GMT, with parachute deployment at 15:09 GMT and splashdown at 123 deg W / 3 deg N at about 15:18 GMT.

The AVUM stage made a second burn at apogee at 14:11 GMT and entered a 220 km x 430 km x 5 deg orbit. A third burn followed at 15:29 GMT as the AVUM passed over Kourou again, to deorbit the stage after one trip around Earth. The AVUM reentered over the Indian Ocean around 16:15 GMT.

The Deep Space Climate Observatory, DSCOVR, was launched after many years of gestation. Originally a NASA mission called Triana and centered around its Earth observation camera, it had at one point been scheduled for launch on the fatal STS-107 flight of Columbia, but was cancelled amid political controversy (it grew out of an idea by Vice-President Gore for whole-Earth imaging to raise eco-awareness) and placed in storage. The mission was reactivated as part of a NOAA (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) effort to monitor 'space weather', the flux of particles and radiation in the solar wind and its interaction with the Earth's outer atmosphere. DSCOVR 145 kg of hydrazine propellant, and was stationed at the Earth-Sun L1 point, 1.5 million km noonward from Earth. It carried a Faraday cup instrument to measure solar wind speed, an electron spectrometer and a magnetometer to measure local plasma and fields, a broad band (0.2 to 100 microns) radiometer to measure the Earth's total energy output, and the Earth Polychomatic Imaging Camera to return images of the full Earth disk. DSCOVR was launched into a 184 km x 186 km x 37 deg parking orbit; 30 minutes after launch the Falcon 9 second stage restarted to boost DSCOVR into a 187 km x 1,371,156 km x 37 deg transfer orbit. When the probe reached the L1 point it entered a Lissajous orbit, tracing out a complex pattern around the gravitationally stable balance point. Radius of this pattern was initially around 250,000 km.