The first element of the space station was the module Mir. It was launched into orbit on February 20, 1986. Since then a number of different modules have been added to the station to support a wide range of scientific endeavors. The Mir module contains the main operations area for the station and living quarters for the crew.

Kvant-1 was the first module added. It houses an astrophysics research lab. Kvant-2 is the scientific research and airlock module. From Kvant-2 observations of earth and biotechnology experiments are conducted and EVA’s (extravehicular activities) are possible. The Kristal module has a Shuttle docking port, contains a small greenhouse and semiconductor experiments. Spektr contains atmospheric research and surface studies equipment. Priroda was the last module added to Mir. Priroda houses a number of radiometers, spectrometers, and radar for gathering data.

Two types of Russian spacecraft are used to transport crews and cargo to and from the Mir. Soyuz-TM capsules deliver crew and cargo to the ship and can safely return crews to earth. Progress-M spacecraft are used to resupply Mir and bring up science experiments. Waste from the station can be loaded into Progress-M ships and allowed to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Starting with Norm Thagard, Americans began to live and work aboard the Mir Space Station. Thagard rode up to Mir with a Russian crew and spent 115 days on orbit until the first Space Shuttle docked with Mir. STS-71 signified a new era in space exploration for Americans. Norm Thagard returned to Earth and a new Russian crew began their stay on Mir. Nine total Space Shuttle flights docked with Mir as part of Phase I of the International Space Station.

Shannon Lucid set a record for Americans in space with a 188 day stay on Mir. Lucid was put aboard Mir by STS-76 (Atlantis) which launched on March 22, 1996. She returned to Earth on September 26, 1996 with STS-79 (Atlantis). Lucid was replace by John Blaha who remained aboard Mir for four months conducting numerous science experiments.

Jerry Linenger replaced Blaha on Mir on January 12, 1996. He was the first American to conduct space walk from a foreign space station. Linenger was also present when the most severe fire ever reported in orbit occurred. Linenger and his fellow cosmonauts reacted with the utmost professionalism and saved Mir from a potentially deadly disaster. Linenger faced several more challenges including: oxygen system failures, attitude control system problems and a near collision with a resupply capsule. Despite the problems, all objectives of the mission were completed and repairs made to the station.

May 17, 1997 Linenger was replaced by Michael Foale who also experienced a number of problems on Mir. On June 25, 1997 a Progress resupply ship collided with the Spektr module of the station. Pressure inside the module was lost and Spektr had to be closed off to prevent pressure loss from the entire station. Though much of Foale’s work was lost in Spektr, he continued to work with the crew to maintain systems and conduct small experiments.

Foale was replaced on Mir by David Wolf on October September 28, 1997. Wolf helped to restore many malfunctioning systems aboard Mir and conducted research. The final American to live on Mir was Andrew Thomas. Thomas began his stay on Mir on January 25, 1998 and after fulfilling a number of scientific projects was returned to Earth on STS-91 (Atlantis) in June 1998.

Mir will soon be deactivated before the new International Space Station is constructed. The exact timeframe for shutting down Mir is still to be determined. When it is finally decommissioned, however, it will leave behind a legacy of unparalleled accomplishment by the Russian Space Agency.

Top of Page