Satgen 2 Tracking Empty Mir Today 27 April 89, the crew of Mir returned to Earth. The space station is now empty, and is unlikely to be occupied again until August 89 or later, depending on when the new set of Mir Science Modules are ready for launch. Mir is being interrogated as it comes in range of the USSR. It replies with a very noisy data signal on 166.122 MHz. These signals are heard briefly in UK just before Mir drops below our eastern horizon. Mir has been left in a very high parking orbit. First approximations are 440 kms mean altitude , 92.75 mins period, coming 44 to 45 mins later each successive day Mir is gradually getting closer to the old Salyut 7 station ( beacon 19.955 MHz). So it may be that before or around the end of 89 a group of cosmonauts could go up for a round trip to both stations just as Kizim and Solovyev did in 86. Whatever happens Mir will be a super midnight sunlit target, visible for UK late night viewers in late May and early June 89. 73 de GM4IHJ 27.4.89