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Mir

Mir Status Report 23 December 1997

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
December 23, 1997
Filed under

Date: Tuesday, December 23, 1997 // MD 140/89
Mir Station System/Subsystem Activities
This past weekend, during changeout of the Base Block air conditioner compressor unit, a check valve failed inside the air conditioner unit (not the new compressor) resulting in a Freon 218 leak of approximately 500 grams. The Moscow Operations team is assessing options to deliver a new air conditioner and compressor either on Shuttle or Progress. The manifesting of another compressor is not required. It is being assessed simply to provide another spare.
With the failure of the air conditioner, the Condensate Recovery System is running with supply solely from the Soyuz dehumidifier. Production quantity is between 1 and 2 liters/day. An option to increase water production is to allow the temperature in the Soyuz habitation module to decrease from 14 degrees to 7 degrees. However lowering the temperature in the habitation module will decrease the temperature in the descent module, resulting in temperatures below the dewpoint causing undesired condensation. The ground team is looking at options to disconnect the descent module thermal control system to prevent condensation.
Preliminary consumables delivered in the Progress vehicle include 300 liters of water, 39 food containers, and 50 kg of pure gaseous Oxygen. Quantities of other consumables are expected to be reported Wednesday.
Late last week it was asked if the crew routinely performs litmus tests on the collected condensate. Mr. Antosheshkin reported that the crew performs these checks at their discretion and typically only performs them if the condensate is collected on or in the vicinity of the thermal piping.
Base Block Vozdukh installation has been temporarily stopped while the ground determines the impacts of disconnecting the cables and equipment needed to make the necessary space for connection of the Vozdukh Drying Unit. The ground is expected to provide direction (either an approval for disconnection or a recommendation for a new location) in the next day or two.

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.