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Mir Space Station. Presented By: David Garnetti. 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. The Purpose.
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Mir Space Station Presented By: David Garnetti
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Docking Module • Allowed for a space shuttle to dock safely with the station • Attached to the end of the Kristall section
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
After Mir • Currently the International Space Station is manned and orbiting the earth
Sources • http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/spacecraft/s-mir.htm • http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/station/ • http://www.russianspaceweb.com/mir.html