STS-81
Report # 15 
Sunday, January 19, 1997 - 7 a.m. CST 
 
 With all of their joint transfer activities complete, Atlantis'
astronauts and the cosmonauts of the Mir Space Station bid farewell to
one another following five days of docked operations in which more
than three tons of food, water and supplies were moved back and forth
between the two spacecraft.

   Commander Mike Baker, Pilot Brent Jett and Mission Specialists Jeff
Wisoff, John Grunsfeld, Marsha Ivins and John Blaha said goodbye to
Mir 22 Commander Valery Korzun, Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri and
the newest Mir crewmember, astronaut Jerry Linenger.  The hatches on
the two spacecraft were closed at 6:46 a.m. after completing a review
of all of the items transferred since the two vehicles docked Tuesday
night.  Among the transfer items were about 1,600 pounds of water for
use by the Mir crew over the next few months.

  Prior to hatch closure, the astronauts and cosmonauts conducted a
formal farewell ceremony in the Mir Core Module after fielding
questions from Russian and U.S. reporters in a joint news conference.
  
   Following final pressure checks to the docking systems on the
Shuttle and the Mir, Atlantis will undock from the Mir tonight at
8:15.  Jett will conduct a flyaround inspection of the Mir as Atlantis
flies in a tail-forward attitude at a distance of about 400 feet.  A
final firing of Atlantis' maneuvering jets about two hours later will
enable Atlantis to separate from Mir for the final time until the
orbiter's return in May with astronaut Mike Foale, who will replace
Linenger aboard the Russian outpost.

  The nine crewmembers are scheduled to begin an abbreviated sleep
period at 11:30 this morning and will be awakened at 5:27 this
afternoon to begin final preparations for undocking.

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