Satgen 572   MIR and ISS   by GM4IHJ    (BID SGEN572)     2000-03-11

For some years now, Amateur Radio both , to and from MIR, and the
Space Shuttles, has provided a superb but simple entry to space
communications, for old folks and young folks.

Recently however, MIR has been abandonned and threatened with a fiery
controlled, de orbit to extinction. Pressure from the US to get things
moving on the new International Space Station (ISS), and forget the
old one, has been understandable. Russian manufacture and supply of
ISS units was behind schedule, and looked like sending the ISS program
into an expensive stop go period of uncertainty. 

This all changed however , when the ISS problem became an American
one, whereby Space Shuttle flights to support the ISS assembly program
suddenly dropped out of the schedule, because of electrical wiring
problems in the Shuttle fleet. Problems consequent on the repeated
periods of intense vibration the Shuttles are subjected to every time
they launch . The cumulative effect of which has been, to crack, and
in some cases partially strip cable insulation. Threatening short
circuits and other problems.

Nature abhors a vacuum . So in the several months waiting period this
has caused , the original Russian idea that there might be commercial
possibilities whereby MIR could have a stay of execution, provided
commercial cash came in to keep it operational. Has resurfaced.

That cash has now appeared in the shape of a contract with MirCorp.
MirCorp plan to use MIR for a life extension of as yet, unknown
duration, in which it will be operated for space tourism, in orbit
advertising, and industrial production in low gee. A reversal of
fortune which has already resulted in the despatch of a Progress
refueling mission to Mir. With a schedule of manned flights starting
with reoccupation of MIR by Russian cosmonauts, this month of March
2000.

As followers of the MIR saga for the last 14 years will be aware. Life
in near earth space has not always been free from trouble and strife.
Loss of stabilization, hatch problems, collisions, unsolved leaks in
damaged structure, serious fires in oxygen generators and failure of
atmosphere scrubbers, have all featured in the disaster itinerary.
Which is hardly unexpected. Indeed most automobile owners will be
aware that very few of our modern personal people carriers , go 14
years without some catastrophe. So on reflection MIRs survival can
only be seen as a remarkable tribute to its builders and its crews. 

However it is difficult to understand how anyone could contemplate
using it as a space hotel. When virtually every other vehicle launched
into space over 10 years ago, is either very dead, or is resting in
the satellite equivalent of a care for the elderly program. But
leaving that aside if MIR is to be recrewed. Will MIRs radio amateur
equipment be reactivated ?, and equally important, will this
reincarnation of MIR affect the operational date of Amateur radio in
the International Space Station ?