Shuttle
Endeavour is now on complex 39 at Kennedy Space Center awaiting its March 2 launch on the Astro 2 flight (STS-67). Astro 2 is a Spacelab mission, using two Spacelab Pallets with the Spacelab Igloo avionics container and the IPS instrument pointing system. Mounted on the IPS are three ultraviolet telescopes. The 0.9-m Hopkins Ultraviolet Telescope (HUT) takes spectra in the 900 to 1900 Angstrom short wavelength UV range and the 500 to 900 A extreme ultraviolet range. The 0.5m Wisconsin Ultraviolet Photo-Polarimeter Experiment (WUPPE) telescope studies spectra in the longer wavelength 1400-3200A ultraviolet range. The 0.38m Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UIT) is a wide-field (0.6 degree) imaging telescope which uses ultraviolet-sensitive film.
Mir
The Mir station raised its orbit on Feb 10; on Feb 10 its orbit was 390 x 391 km x 51.6 deg, 92.38 min; on Feb 20 it was in a 391 x 397 km x 51.6 deg, 92.45 min orbit. Progress vehicle no. 226 was launched on Feb 15, and given the name Progress M-26 once reaching orbit. Progress M-25 undocked on Feb 16 (due at 1303 UT) and was deorbited. Progress M-26 then docked at the vacant Kvant docking port on Feb 17 (due at 1821 UT). It carries experiments for the visit of US astronaut Norman Thagard to Mir, due next month.
Launches
Foton No. 10 was launched from Plesetk on Feb 16 into a 219 x 368 km x 62.8 deg, 90.39 min orbit. The Foton recoverable materials processing satellite, built by the Central Specialized Design Bureau in Samara, is based on the Vostok/Zenit spy satellite bus. This mission carries materials processing experiments from Germany and France.
Recent Launches
Reentries
Jan 15 EXPRESS Reentered Feb 11 Discovery Landed at KSC Feb 12 BREMSAT Reentered Feb 16 Progress M-25 Deorbited
Jonathan McDowell (©Jonathan McDowell 1994)