CCCP Space Program - Mir Orbital Station patch.
Feb. 19, 2021
Preparing to launch
Exactly 35 years ago, on February 20, 1986 at 00 hours 28 minutes 23 seconds Moscow time, a Proton-K launch vehicle was launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome, which subsequently launched into Earth's orbit the base block of the largest structure in space in the 20th century - the orbital complex "World". This launch opened an important stage in the development of cosmonautics - the beginning of the construction of a large-scale manned scientific research complex.
Launch of the Proton-K launch vehicle from the Baikonur
The lead developer of the Mir station is the SP Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia. Korolev (today it is a part of the State Corporation "Roscosmos"), and the developer and manufacturer of the base unit and modules - the State Space Research and Production Center named after M.V. Khrunichev (part of Roscosmos). Mir was controlled from the Mission Control Center (Korolev, part of Roskosmos), which was the main link in the flight control loop of the Salyut long-term orbital stations, Soyuz family spacecraft and Progress cargo spacecraft.
Base unit of Mir station
For the first time, such a station was created on a modular basis. The idea of creating a multi-module orbital complex appeared back in 1976, and a new type of station was developed on the basis of the already existing single-module Salyut stations in 10 years. It could be assembled in parts and made very large: over and over again attaching new modules to it.
After docking of the astrophysical module "Kvant"
The Mir station became a unique scientific and technical laboratory, where promising solutions for the control of a large and multifunctional space object were tested. It served as a scientific basis for conducting experiments in zero gravity and was the largest international project in the field of space research. Using the Mir scientific equipment, scientists observed supernova explosions, black holes and the Earth's atmosphere, astronauts grew semiconductor crystals, synthesized organic compounds, and much more.
After docking, retrofit module "Kvant-2"
The main difference between Mir and previous long-term orbital stations was that other parts of the station could be connected to the base unit with the help of docking compartments. The first such "detail" was the scientific module "Quant", which was intended for astrophysical observations. By 1996, five more modules were added to the station: the scientific Kvant-2, Kristall, Spektr and Priroda, and a docking bay for the Space Shuttle ships arriving at the station.
After docking of the technological module "Kristall"
The completion of the Mir station flight became a unique scientific and technical experiment. In January 2001, in connection with the depletion of the station's resource, it was decided to de-orbit the station - the Mir station was flooded in the Pacific Ocean on March 23, 2001. For the first time, a controlled safe de-orbiting of such a large-sized object and its flooding in a given area of the World Ocean was realized. The operating time of the Mir complex in orbit exceeded three times the originally planned 5-year period. The fifteen-year flight of the station, the work of many Russian and international crews on board gave a truly invaluable experience not only to Russian cosmonautics, but to all mankind.
After docking of the optical module "Spectrum"
Roscosmos State Corporation congratulates veterans of the rocket and space industry, specialists of the Mission Control Center and the Main Operational Control Group, without whom it would be impossible to control and ensure the flight of the Mir orbital station!
The docking compartment is designed to enable the docking of Space Shuttle
Results of the operation of the orbital station "Mir" (Peace):
- The total mass of the Mir station in full configuration (with two docked ships) is more than 140 tons.
- The mass of scientific equipment is about 11.5 tons.
- 27 countries participated in the creation of scientific equipment.
Linear dimensions:
Mir station in full configuration
- For the hulls of the base unit, the Kvant module and two docked ships ~ 33 m;
- On the buildings of the modules "Kvant-2" and "Spectrum" ~ 29 m;
- Along the hulls of the Priroda and Kristall modules and the docking compartment ~ 30 m.
At the Mir station, 28 main expeditions were carried out, the crews of which included:
- 35 Russian cosmonauts;
- 7 US astronauts;
- 2 astronauts of France;
- 1 ESA astronaut (citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany).
The Mir station was visited by 104 people. Of them:
- 2 times - 19 people;
- 3 times - 4 people;
- 4 times - 1 person (Alexander Viktorenko);
- 5 times - 1 person (Alexander Soloviev).
Foreign citizens at the Mir station were visited by 62 people - representatives of 11 countries and ESA. Including:
- United States of America - 44 people;
- France - 5 people;
- European Space Agency (ESA) - 3 people;
- Germany (DDR) - 2 people;
- Syria, Bulgaria, Afghanistan, Japan, Great Britain, Austria, Canada, Slovakia - 1 person each.
Spacewalks:
78 spacewalks (including three exits to the depressurized Spektr module) were performed from the Mir orbital station, with a total duration of 356 hours and 43 minutes.
Participated in the Spacewalks:
- 29 Russian cosmonauts;
- 3 US astronauts;
- 2 astronauts of France;
- 1 ESA astronaut (citizen of the Federal Republic of Germany).
The following flights were made to the Mir station:
American space shuttle Atlantis docked with Mir station
- 1 ship of the Soyuz T series;
- 30 spaceships of the Soyuz TM series;
- 18 spaceships of the Progress series;
- 43 spaceships of the Progress M series;
- 3 spaceships of the Progress M1 series;
- 5 modules ("Quantum", "Quantum-2", "Crystal", "Spectrum", "Nature");
- 10 Space Shuttle ships (Atlantis - 7 flights, Discovery - 2 flights, in the first of them docking was not provided, Endeavor - 1 flight).
Connections (dockings) completed - 146.
World records for flight duration:
- 1987 - Yuri Romanenko (326 days 11 hours 38 minutes);
- 1988 - Vladimir Titov, Musa Manarov (365 days 22 hours 39 minutes);
- 1995 - Valery Polyakov (437 days 17 hours 58 minutes).
Women:
Shannon Lucid
- 1995 - Elena Kondakova (169 days 05 hours 21 minutes);
- 1996 - Shannon Lucid, USA (188 days 04 hours 00 minutes).
Total time:
- 1995 - Valery Polyakov (678 days 1b h 33 min for 2 flights);
- 1999 - Sergey Avdeev (747 days 14 hours 12 minutes for 3 flights).
Mir Orbital Station
According to the Russian and international programs, the Mir station has carried out more than 23 thousand scientific experiments and studies, many of which have no analogues in the world.
ROSCOSMOS Press Release: https://www.roscosmos.ru/30038/
Images, Animation, Text, Credits: ROSCOSMOS/ESA/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
Best regards, Orbiter.ch
