1. Mir Space Station Presented By: David Garnetti

2. Brief History of Mir • The first space shuttle docked with Mir in 1986 • Completed construction of space station in 1996 • Continuously occupied until August 1999 • Fell out of orbit in March 2001

3. The Purpose • Mir translates into “peace” “world” “village” • Literally Mir refers to the Russian peasant own land granted by the Edict of Emancipation of 1861 • To perform zero gravity experiments • To make observations of earth, space, and biological effects of prolonged space flight • Peaceful world collaboration

4. Mir’s Modules • Core: Living quarters and station control • Kvant I: Observed physics of space • Kvant II: Crew showers, earth and biological experiments • Kristall: Semiconductor and biological experiments • Spektr: Living and work area for American Astronauts • Priroda: Earth remote sensing • Docking Module: Safe stable port for space shuttles

5. Mir’s Layout • The station resembled four school buses connected to each other at 90 degree angles with a two more sections perpendicular to the other four

6. Mir Core Module • Launched Feb. 1986 • 13.1 meters long; 20.4 tons, 90 cubic meters habitable volume • Contained primary living and working area, life support and power, as well as the main computer, communications and control equipment • one docking port for space craft and four radial berthing ports, set at 90 degree

9. Kvant I • Launched 1987; 4 by 13 meters, 11.5 tons, 40 meters pressurized volume • Attached to the Core Module • Provided research in the physics of galaxies, quasars, and neutron stars • measured electromagnetic spectra and x-ray emissions. • Also supported biotechnology experiments

10. Kvant II • Launched 1989; 4.3 by 13.7 meters; 19.6 tons; 61.3 cubic meters; and 27.4 meter solar array • Enhanced drinking water and oxygen provisions, motion control systems, power distribution, and contained washing facilities • Provided biological research and earth observations

11. Kristall Module • Launched 1990; 4.3 by 11.9 meters; 19.5 tons; 60.8 cubic meters; 36 meter solar array • Developed biological and materials production technologies in the space environment. • semi-conductors, cellular substances and medicines. • Supported astrophysical and technical experiments

12. Spektr Module • Launched 1995; 4.4 by 12 meters; 19.5 tons; 62 cubic meters; 4 solar arrays • American living quarters of Mir • Contained 1600 lbs of U.S. equipment • Mainly used for earth observation of natural resources and the atmosphere. • Also supported biotechnology, life sciences, materials science and space technologies research

13. Priroda Module • Last Module; Launched 1996; 4.3 by 13 meters; 19 tons; 66 cubic meters • Mainly used for earth remote sensing • weather; ocean-atmosphere systems; land, mineral and crop conditions; mankind's impacts and opportunities in the environment. • Also collected info from buoys in nuclear power, seismically dangerous, and other zones, • to create an integrated monitoring and warning system

16. Docking Module • Allowed for a space shuttle to dock safely with the station • Attached to the end of the Kristall section

18. Soyuz • Length 7 meters; 7100 kg; 10 cubic meters • Manned spacecraft that can ferry up to three crewmembers to and from Mir. • Can be used as an escape pod for the crew

19. Progress Supply Vehicle • 8 by 2.7 meters; 6.6 cubic meters; can carry up 2500 kg of supplies • Unmanned, automated version of the Soyuz • Designed to supply the space station

21. Finished Space Station • Was the largest spacecraft with total weight of 250 tons • The size of six school buses • Avg. Speed: 17,885 mph • Orbited approx: 250 mi. above the earth • Housed over 100 cosmonauts, astronauts, and international crew members • Over 75 space walks; 325+ hours

22. Achievements of the Mir • 16,500 experiments • 600 new technologies • Stayed in orbit for 15 years • 3 times its planned lifetime • 16 orbits everyday • Approx: 87,600 total orbits

23. Achievements of the Mir • First crop of wheat to be grown from seed to seed in outer space • Provided data on the biological effects of long term space flight • Cosmonaut Valery Polyakov spent 438 consecutive days in space • MEEP: Mir Environmental Effects Payload

24. Flaws and Accidents • Never was able to maintain a adequate system for the stowage of refuse • Towards the end of operations Mir would experience power outages and environmental fluctuations “regularly” • June 1997 a Progress shuttle collided with the Spektr module • Spektr became decompressurized and had to be sealed

25. The Deorbit of Mir • With a failing Russian economy and construction of the International Space Station, Russia decided to deorbit Mir • Mir fell into the South Pacific near New Zealand on March 23, 2001

26. After Mir • Currently the International Space Station is manned and orbiting the earth

27. Sources • http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/spacecraft/s-mir.htm • http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/ • http://www.russianspaceweb.com/mir.html

28. Questions?