Expedition EO-23

Crew & mission data:

EVA data:

Mission details:

• Mir Expedition EO-23.
• After several rendezvous burns, the Soyuz TM-25 docked with Mir at the -X port on Feb 12, 1997 at 15:51:13 GMT. The subsequent disaster-filled six month mission included on-board fires, power losses, oxygen system problems, thermal control problems, station control system failures, cabin depressurizations, and the collision of the Progress 24 with the station.
• The EO-23 crew’s problems began on Feb 23 at 19:35 GMT when a fire broke out in a lithium perchlorate cartridge in the Kvant module used to generate extra oxygen on Mir. The fire lasted 14 minutes and metre-long flames of burning lithium perchlorate in the Kvant module blocked the way to one of the two Soyuz spaceships. EO-22 crew members Korzun and Kaleri used extinguishers to fight the fire; the crew wore gas masks for two and a half hours afterwards due to the heavy smoke in the station. This was followed in March by continuous problems with the various oxygen-generating, station control, and thermal control systems.
• The carbon dioxide removal system failed on April 3, 1997.
• Progress M-34 cargo ship, was launched from Baykonur on Apr 6, 1997 at 16:04 UTC. It carries supplies for the Mir station and repair equipment for Mir's oxygen generators, as well as replacement oxygen-generating 'candles' and a pair of new spacesuits for a forthcoming spacewalk. Progress M-34 docked successfully with the Kvant module on Mir at 17:30 UTC on Apr 8.
• The Mir complex raised its orbit by 5 km on 15 Apr at 1200 UTC, using Progress M-34's engine. The Mir crew continue to carry out repairs on their life support system.
• Vasiliy Tsibliyev and visiting American astronaut Jerry Linenger in Orlan-M spacesuits made a 4h 57m spacewalk on April 29. They left the airlock at 05:10 GMT and returned to Kvant-2 at 10:08 GMT. The astronauts retrieved some sample collection experiments from the outside of the complex. Flight engineer Aleksandr Lazutkin remained inside the Mir complex.
• Atlantis STS-84 was launched on schedule on May 15, 1997 at 0808 UTC. It docked with the SO module on Mir on May 17 at 0233 UTC
• STS-84 undocked from the Mir station at 01:04 UTC on May 22. Jerry Linenger returned to Earth aboard Atlantis, leaving Mike Foale as the NASA resident on Mir.
• The robot cargo ship Progress M-34 undocked from Mir at 10:22 UT on June 24 to perform a redocking test using recently developed remote-control procedures which are replacing the old automatic systems that Russia can no longer afford to buy from Ukraine. At around 09:10 UT on June 25, Mir commander Tsibliyev was remotely commanding the approach of Progress to the Kvant (37KE) module when the Progress went off course and collided with a solar array on the Spektr module and then the module itself. A large hole was made in the solar panel, and one of Spektr's radiators was badly buckled. A small breach in Spektr's hull appears to have been made and the module began to depressurize. This was not a slow leak - the crew heard a hissing sound and felt their ears pop.
  The cosmonauts reported it to the ground no earlier than 09:17 UTC when they got into the radio communication zone. They closed the hatch on the core module transfer section that leads to Spektr by 09:38 GMT. The Spektr module was thereafter fully depressurized. It remains docked to Mir with its docking hatch open. The electrical connection between Spektr's solar panels and the main station was broken off, also cutting off the power supply from the solar panels on the Kristall module. Tsibliev was also driving on the only previous documented orbital fender-bender, when he banged Soyuz TM-17 into Mir in January 1994.
• Progress M-35 docked with the rear of the 37KE (Kvant) module at 0559:24 UTC on Jul 7, 1997 using the automatic Kurs system.
• Mir lost power and attitude control on July 16 when a cable was accidentally disconnected, but the crew were able to use the Soyuz to reorient the station and restore the situation. The spacewalk to reconnect the Spektr power cables was delayed until the next Soyuz launch. This was reoriented to concentrate on repairing the station and getting it back into operation. Researcher Leopold Eyharts of France's CNES was bumped from the crew and rescheduled for a 1998 flight.
• Progress M-35 undocked from Mir at 1146 UTC on Aug 6 to clear the docking port.
• Soyuz TM-26 docked with Mir's Kvant module at 1702 UTC on Aug 7, 1997. The crew took over manual control in the final phase.
• The EO-23 handed over the station and on August 14, 1997 entered their Soyuz TM-25 transport ship, closing the hatches at 05:50 GMT. Soyuz TM-25 undocked from the Mir forward port on August 14 at 08:55 GMT and at 11:22 GMT fired the deorbit engine on the PAO (priborno-agregatniy otsek, equipment-service module).

Astrophilately covers:

Cosmic Mail: Cover with 2 black Mir boardcancel, docking date boardcancel: 120297 and date boardcancel: 020397, signed by the crew on board.

Long duration Space Mail: Cover with new red and black Mir boardcancel, docking date boardcancel: 120297 and date boardcancels: 020397, 170597, 220597, 070897, 140897 signed by the crew on board.