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Mir Space Station, 1989, with Base Block, center; Kvant module, right; and Kvant-2 module, top
to carry
Soviet soldier-cosmonauts to the Almaz military space two brief periods (July 1986-February 1987; April-
stations. September 1989), Russian cosmonauts have lived aboard
• Spektr was launched on a Russian Proton rocket from the Mir continuously for the past 9 years, demonstrating
Baikonur launch center in central Asia on May 20, 1995. proven experience in space station operations.
The module was berthed at the radial port opposite • Dr. Valeri Polyakov arrived on Mir on Soyuz-TM 18 in
Kvant 2 after Kristall was moved out of the way. Spektr January 1994 and returned to Earth on Soyuz-TM 20 on
carries four solar arrays and scientific equipment, March 21, 1995. He lived in orbit for more than 438
including more than 1600 pounds of U.S. equipment. days, a new world record.
The focus of scientific study for this module is Earth • Through 1994, 16 long-duration crews lived and worked
observation, specifically natural resources and on Mir. In all, 19 piloted craft have docked with the
atmosphere. The equipment onboard is supplied by both station.
Russia and the United States. • Cosmonaut-researchers from Afghanistan, Austria,
• Priroda was the last science module to be added to the Britain, Bulgaria, the European Space Agency, France,
Mir, launched from Baikonur on April 23, 1996, it Germany, Japan, Kazakhstan, and Syria have visited
docked to the space station as scheduled on April 26. Its Mir. European and French cosmonauts lived on Mir for
primary purpose is to add Earth remote sensing as long as a month. U.S. astronauts typically spend four
capability to Mir. It also contains the hardware and months on the station, although U.S. astronaut Shannon
supplies for several joint U.S.-Russian science Lucid has had the longest tour onboard, six months in
experiments. 1996.
• The Docking Module was delivered and installed by • More than 40 Progress and Progress-M freighters have
shuttle mission STS-74 in November 1995, making it delivered more than 100 tons of supplies and fuel to Mir.
possible for the space shuttle to more easily dock with The improved Progress-M occasionally carries a capsule
Mir. On STS-71 in June 1995, the shuttle docked with for returning to Earth a small quantity of experiment
the Kristall module on Mir. However, to make that results and industrial products from the station.
docking possible, the Kristall configuration had to be Occasionally cargo comes back to Earth with
changed to give the shuttle enough clearance to dock. cosmonauts in Soyuz-TM capsules. Beginning with STS-
Russian cosmonauts performed a spacewalk to movethe 71, the shuttle has returned to Earth more industrial
Kristall module from a radial axis to a longitudinal axis, products and experiment samples than is possible using
relative to Mir. After the shuttle departed, Kristall was the Progress-M capsules or Soyuz-TM. In addition, the
moved back to its original location. shuttle can be used to return components from Mir’s
exterior, such as solar arrays, for studying the effects of
Modules for Mir’s radial berthing ports first dock at the long exposure to space conditions–a capability not
front port. Each module carries a manipulator arm which available with Progress-M and Soyuz-TM. Important
locks into a socket on Mir. The arm pivots the module into lessons from Mir operations and Shuttle-Mir operations
place at the proper radial port and research are being incorporated into the International
Space Station design and planning.
Mir Key Facts
• An important goal of the Mir program has been to
maintain a permanent human space presence. Except or