Flight of the orbital space station Mir. Mir, orbital station

Mir is a Soviet (later Russian) manned research orbital complex that operated from February 20, 1986 to March 23, 2001. The most important scientific discoveries, implemented unique technical and technological solutions. The principles laid down in the design of the Mir orbital complex and its onboard systems (modular construction, phased deployment, the ability to perform operational maintenance and preventive measures, regular transport and technical supply) have become a classic approach to the creation of promising manned orbital complexes of the future.

Lead developer of the Mir orbital complex, developer of the base unit and modules of the orbital complex, developer and manufacturer of most of their onboard systems, developer and manufacturer spaceships"Soyuz" and "Progress" - Rocket and Space Corporation "Energy" named after. S. P. Koroleva. The developer and manufacturer of the base unit and modules of the orbital complex "Mir", part of their on-board systems - State Space Research and Production Center. M. V. Khrunichev. About 200 enterprises and organizations also took part in the development and manufacture of the base unit and modules of the Mir orbital complex, the Soyuz and Progress spacecraft, their onboard systems and ground infrastructure, including: Center "TsSKB-Progress", Central Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Design Bureau of General Mechanical Engineering. V. P. Barmina, Russian Research Institute of Space Instrumentation, Scientific Research Institute of Precision Instruments, Cosmonaut Training Center. Yu. A. Gagarina, Russian Academy Sciences. The control of the orbital complex "Mir" was carried out by the Mission Control Center of the Central Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering.

Base unit - the main link of the entire orbital station, uniting its modules into a single complex. The base unit contained control equipment for service systems to ensure the life of the MIR-Shuttle crew. During 1995-1998, joint Russian-American work was carried out at the Mir station under the Mir-Shuttle and Mir-NASA programs. Orbital station and shuttle station and scientific instrumentation, as well as crew rest areas. The base unit consisted of a transition compartment with five passive docking units (one axial and four side), a working compartment, an intermediate chamber with one docking unit, and an unpressurized aggregate compartment. All docking units are of the passive type of the "pin-cone" system.

Module "Quantum" was intended for astrophysical and other scientific research and experiments. The module consisted of a laboratory compartment with a transition chamber and an unpressurized compartment scientific instruments. Module maneuvering in orbit was provided with the help of a service block equipped with a propulsion system and detachable after the module docked with the station. The module had two docking units located along its longitudinal axis - active and passive. In an autonomous flight, the passive unit was closed by a service unit. The Kvant module was docked to the intermediate chamber of the base unit (X axis). After the mechanical coupling, the retraction process could not be completed due to the fact that a foreign object appeared in the receiving cone of the docking unit of the station. To eliminate this object, it was necessary for the crew to go to outer space, which took place on 11-12.04.1986.

Module "Kvant-2" It was intended to equip the station with scientific instruments, equipment and provide spacewalks for the crew, as well as to conduct various scientific research and experiments. The module consisted of three hermetic compartments: instrument-cargo, instrument-scientific and airlock special with an outward-opening exit hatch with a diameter of 1000 mm. The module had one active docking unit installed along its longitudinal axis on the instrument-cargo compartment. The Kvant-2 module and all subsequent modules docked to the axial docking assembly of the transfer compartment of the base unit (X-axis), then, using the manipulator, the module was transferred to the side docking assembly of the transition compartment. The standard position of the Kvant-2 module as part of the Mir station is the Y axis.

Module "Crystal" was designed to conduct technological and other scientific research and experiments and to provide docking with ships equipped with androgynous-peripheral docking units. The module consisted of two pressurized compartments: instrument-cargo and transition-docking. The module had three docking units: an axial active one - on the instrument-cargo compartment and two androgynous-peripheral types - on the transition-docking compartment (axial and lateral). Until May 27, 1995, the Kristall module was located on the side docking assembly intended for the Spektr module (Y axis). Then it was transferred to the axial docking unit (-X axis) and on 05/30/1995 moved to its regular place (-Z axis). On 06/10/1995, it was again transferred to the axial unit (X-axis) to ensure docking with the American spacecraft Atlantis STS-71, on 07/17/1995 it was returned to its regular place (-Z axis).

Module "Spectrum" was intended for scientific research and experiments on the study natural resources Earth, upper layers earth's atmosphere, own outer atmosphere of the orbital complex, geophysical processes of natural and artificial origin in near-Earth space and in the upper layers of the earth's atmosphere, as well as to equip the station with additional sources of electricity. The module consisted of two compartments: pressurized instrument-cargo and non-pressurized, on which two main and two additional solar arrays and scientific instruments were installed. The module had one active docking unit located along its longitudinal axis in the instrument-cargo compartment. The standard position of the "Spektr" module as part of the "Mir" station is the -Y axis. The docking compartment (created at RSC Energia named after S.P. Korolev) was designed to ensure docking of the American Space Shuttle system ships with the Mir station without changing its configuration; it was delivered into orbit to American ship Atlantis STS-74 and docked to the Kristall module (-Z axis).

Specifications

Video

This term has other meanings, see World. World Emblem Flight information ... Wikipedia

habitable long-term aircraft, designed for research in near-Earth orbit or in outer space. The space station can serve as a spacecraft, a long-term residence for astronauts, a laboratory, ... ... Collier Encyclopedia

space station Mir-2- was planned until 1993 as the next step in the development of the Russian national space program, and then was absorbed by the International Space Station, like the American station Freedom. It represented the next... Universal optional practical dictionary I. Mostitsky

Request "ISS" is redirected here; see also other meanings. International Space Station ... Wikipedia

international space station- Manned orbital multi-purpose space research complex International Space Station (ISS), created to conduct scientific research in space. Construction began in 1998 and is being carried out with the cooperation of ... ... Encyclopedia of newsmakers

Orbital station (OS) spacecraft, designed for long-term stay of people in near-Earth orbit for the purpose of conducting scientific research in outer space, reconnaissance, surface observations and ... ... Wikipedia

This article or part of the article contains information about expected events. This describes events that have not yet happened ... Wikipedia

- "Mir 2" project of the Soviet, and later the Russian fourth-generation orbital station. Original name "Salyut 9". It was developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s to replace the Mir station with a partial transfer from it of some ... Wikipedia

Books

• , <не указано>. The publication includes sections: - The ten most important terms - The atmosphere of the Earth - The most important dates for space exploration - Getting to the moon - The first man in space - The first man on ...
• Space exploration. The most visual children's encyclopedia, Chupina T. (ed.). The most visual children's encyclopedia + 30 stickers and a quiz. . Ten essential terms. Earth's atmosphere. The most important dates of space exploration. Get to the moon. First man in space...

- "WORLD", orbital station for flight in low Earth orbit. Created in the USSR on the basis of the design of the Salyut station, launched into orbit on February 20, 1986. Equipped with a new docking system with 6 docking nodes. Compared to Salyut at the station ... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- "Mir 2" project of the Soviet, and later Russian orbital station. Another name is Salyut 9. It was developed in the late 80s and early 90s of the 20th century. Not implemented due to the collapse of the USSR and the difficult economic situation in Russia after the collapse ... ... Wikipedia

Mir Emblem Flight information Name: Mir Call sign: Mir Launch: February 19, 1986 21:28:23 UTC Baikonur, USSR ... Wikipedia

Mir Emblem Flight information Name: Mir Call sign: Mir Launch: February 19, 1986 21:28:23 UTC Baikonur, USSR ... Wikipedia

- (OS) a spacecraft designed for long-term stay of people in near-Earth orbit for the purpose of conducting scientific research in outer space, reconnaissance, observations of the surface and atmosphere of the planet, ... ... Wikipedia

Orbital station "Salyut-7"- Salyut 7 - Soviet orbital station designed for scientific, technological, biological and medical research in weightlessness. The last station of the Salute series. Launched into orbit on April 19, 1982 ... ... Encyclopedia of newsmakers

ORBITAL STATION, a structure orbiting in outer space, designed to long stay person. Orbital stations are more spacious than most spacecraft, so that their inhabitants, astronauts and scientists ... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

manned or unmanned spacecraft, long time operating in orbit around the Earth, other planets or the Moon. Orbital stations can be delivered to orbit assembled or assembled in space. On orbital... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

ORBITAL STATION, a manned or automatic spacecraft operating for a long time in orbit around the Earth, another planet or the Moon and intended for their study, as well as the study of outer space, medical ... ... Modern Encyclopedia

Books

• Planet Earth. View from space. Photoalbum about space natural history, . Despite the theoretical calculations made of the potential reserves of mineral raw materials and the possibilities of using certain types reproducible resources, today it is not yet known the exact ...
• Secrets of Space, Rob Lloyd Jones. Welcome to the expanses of space! `Space Secrets` is a fascinating book that will tell the child about what is happening in our universe, what are the planets, as well as the child ...

Exactly 20 years ago, a series of strange accidents at the Russian Mir station led to the decision to start decommissioning it, followed by flooding. This peculiar anniversary would have passed unnoticed if it were not for the premiere of the next Hollywood "space horror". The fantastic blockbuster "Alive" tells about tragic death of the ISS crew in the fight against an unusual Martian microorganism. This rather hackneyed theme, brilliantly revealed by Riddy Scott in the epic about “foreign” monsters and by John Bruno in “Virus”, unexpectedly received an original continuation. The intrigue was generated by the words of the creator of "Alive" Daniel Espinosa that the plot was inspired by one of the versions of the death of the predecessor of the ISS - the station "Mir".

"Domino effect" in emergency situations

At the end of July 1997, one of the leaders of the Mir program, Sergei Krikalev, held a sensational press conference. On it, he spoke about a series of mysterious accidents.

It all started on February 23, 1997, when a fire broke out during a crew change. The reason was a substandard pyrolysis checker, which serves to replenish oxygen, which was lit after six people had accumulated on board. Although the fire was extinguished, the thermoregulation system began to malfunction. As a result, the new crew, consisting of Vasily Tsibliyev, Alexander Lazutkin and Jerry Linenger, had to inhale refrigerant vapors for a week and “steam” at a 30-degree temperature. The thermal control system was repaired only by mid-June.

On June 25, 1997, during the maneuvers of the Progress M-34 truck, it collided with the Spektr scientific module. As a result, a crack formed through which air began to escape. I had to batten down the passage hatch to the Spektr, but then the voltage began to drop at the station. It turned out that the cables and solar panels of the Spektra were damaged, giving almost
one third of electricity.

The next morning, the astronauts woke up in darkness and cold. It turned out that at night the on-board computer lost contact with the position sensors and switched to emergency mode, turning off the heating and the orientation system. So the station lost the optimal location of the solar panels, and the batteries were discharged.

In the end, the station was able to orient with the engines of the moored Soyuz TM-25 spacecraft, and the solar panels charged the batteries again.

What about the onboard computer?

On August 5, Anatoly Solovyov and Pavel Vinogradov arrived to replace Tsibliyev and Lazutkin with repair equipment to restore Mir. The new shift encountered difficulties already during docking, when the automation did not work and Solovyov had to berth in manual mode. He maneuvered and managed to save the day by taking control in the event of another computer failure during the re-docking of the Progress M-35.

Then the cosmonauts set about repairing the onboard computer, recalling the HAL 9000 supercomputer that destroyed almost the entire crew of the spacecraft in Arthur C. Clarke's novel 2001: A Space Odyssey. The computers were debugged and the repair of the electrolysis generator for oxygen production began.

After that, the cosmonauts put on their spacesuits and entered the depressurized module through the transfer lock of the docking station. They managed to restore the cables leading to the Spectra solar panels. Now we had to find out how many holes the station received. However, checking suspicious places did not give anything. The search for an air leak had to continue. At this time, failures of the main computer resumed. They managed to assemble it from two faulty ones, but the problems followed one after another, as if the spirit of HAL 9000 had really entered the computer ...

All these events led to the curtailment of work at the station. According to the official version, the situation at the station was considered by major space technology experts together with designers and manufacturers. They came to the conclusion that Mir had already exhausted its resources long ago, and further stay on it was becoming simply dangerous.

Alternative version

Many alternative cosmonautics historians believe that the events during the 14th main expedition, which lasted from July 1, 1993 to January 14, 1994, served as the cause of the death of the Mir station. Then Vasily Tsibliyev, Alexander Serebrov and Frenchman Jean-Pierre Haignere arrived at the station.

While checking the equipment for spacewalks left over from the previous crew, flight engineer Serebrov opened the satchel of one of the spacesuits and was immediately enveloped in a cloud of greenish dust. It turned out on inner surface suit, several layers of strange mold had formed.

The team had to clean out the compartment where the spacesuits were stored for a long time with improvised means. Finally, almost all the mold spores from the air and the suit were sent to the dust collector. However, after a few hours, the water from the regeneration system acquired a putrid taste, and a musty smell appeared in the compartments.

The cosmonauts sent a request to the Mission Control Center to change the regeneration column, but the situation on Earth was not considered critical. Then the astronauts dismantled the column themselves and saw that replaceable filter clogged with yellow-green crumbs.

Later mutated in weightlessness and under the influence of cosmic radiation mold began to destroy the equipment of the station. Fire detectors and air analyzers were particularly affected. This is indirectly confirmed by the analyzes of the laboratory of microbiology of the environment and antimicrobial protection of the Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in which extensive traces of mold were found on some of the instruments that returned from the station.

Bioisk program

The Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences launched a targeted program to study the behavior of microorganisms in space conditions. She received the name "Biorisk".

During the experiments, spores of microscopic fungi were sent into space as the most resistant to an airless environment and radiation. They were placed on the metal structures from which the outer shell of the spacecraft was made. The samples were then placed in a Petri dish separated from vacuum. membrane filter. In space conditions, disputes spent a year and a half. When they were returned to Earth and placed in nutrient medium, the spores immediately began to grow and multiply.

All this shed new light on the old problem of space technology disinfection. Indeed, in the case of the return of expeditions that have visited various parts of solar system, terrestrial microorganisms can change significantly.

space infection

After returning to Earth, the astronauts of the 14th expedition developed symptoms of a strange disease. They were especially strong in Serebrov, who complained of pain in the abdomen, nausea and constant weakness. The cosmonaut turned to the Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology for help, but the doctors could not make an accurate diagnosis.

On March 23, 2001, the record-breaking station, which worked three times longer than originally planned, was flooded in pacific ocean near the Fiji Islands. Scientists assured: the station was heat-treated during flight through the atmosphere. In such an oven, not a single microbe will survive. But they recognized that the properties of the mold mutating in weightlessness are not known until the end. What if the space microorganisms on the submerged station survived? Is there a risk that water depths an unknown infection will come to earth?

Mutants or conspiracies?

A couple of years ago, many media reported on the sensational discovery of traces of some microorganisms on the external structures of the ISS. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that these organisms were plankton, which had somehow found their way onto the station's hull.

Astrobiologists who study all life in space have put forward a theory according to which plankton got to the ISS on one of the spacecraft. For example, this could well have happened at the main NASA rocket launcher in Florida at Cape Canaveral, where strong winds from the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.

According to another hypothesis, put forward many years ago by the patriarch of British science fiction, Brian Aldiss, in his novel Earth's Long Twilight, microorganisms are constantly carried tens of kilometers up by atmospheric currents and travel thousands of kilometers.

Nevertheless, the mysteries of mold on the Mir station and plankton on the ISS still do not find explanations that would suit everyone.

And the strange death of the Mir station, it turns out, has a conspiracy explanation. He was voiced by Czech space historian Karel Pacner in the bestselling book The Secret Race to the Moon. In his opinion, the reasons for the hasty destruction of the station are the most banal - corruption and embezzlement. According to Patzner, the cost of maintaining this object diverged into the pockets of the leadership of the space industry, and the station accumulated a lot of unique instruments and equipment that existed only on paper.

Traces had to be covered urgently, and the legend of mold was used to prepare public opinion. In general, as they say in the popular series, the truth is somewhere nearby.

TASS-DOSIER /Inna Klimacheva/. 15 years ago, on March 23, 2001, the Russian orbital space station Mir was deorbited and sunk in the Pacific Ocean. For the first time, a controlled safe deorbiting of such a large space object (the mass of the station was 140 tons) and its flooding in a given area of ​​the World Ocean was carried out.

"YouTube/TASS"

"World"- Soviet (later Russian) manned orbital station. The world's first modular space station and the eighth built in the USSR and launched into low Earth orbit. Previously, Salyut-1 was launched (it was in orbit in 1971), Salyut-2 (1973; due to depressurization it was not operated in a manned mode), Salyut-3 (1974-1975), Salyut -4" (1974-1977), "Salyut-5" (1976-1977), "Salyut-6" (1977-1982) and "Salyut-7" (1982-1991).

Project history

Work on the Mir orbital complex (original name: Salyut-8) began in the mid-1970s. NPO Energia (now the S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia; Korolev, Moscow Region) in 1976 issued technical proposals for improved long-term orbital stations.

In 1978, a preliminary design was ready, from February 1979, it began to be created base unit stations. NPO Energia became the lead developer and manufacturer of the base unit and other Mir modules. Also, the State Space Research and Production Center named after A.I. M.V. Khrunicheva (Moscow): the specialists of the enterprise created and manufactured structures and systems that ensure the autonomous flight of the station modules. In total, 280 enterprises and organizations were involved in the project.

Station configuration and characteristics

The station's first module (base unit) was launched on February 20, 1986 (at 00:28 Moscow time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by the Proton-K carrier rocket. It was the main link of the "Mir" and united the rest of the modules into a single complex. The base unit contained control equipment for crew life support systems and scientific equipment, as well as places for the astronauts to rest.

After the launch of the base unit, the station was assembled in orbit for ten years. The "Kvant" module was launched in 1987, "Kvant-2" - in 1989, from which the crew members went out into outer space. The fourth module, named Kristall, was put into orbit in 1990 and provided dockings with Soyuz and Progress spacecraft. Spektr in 1995 equipped the station with two additional solar batteries.

In the same year, a docking compartment was included in the orbital complex to ensure the berthing of American reusable ships type Space Shuttle ("Space Shuttle" or shuttle), was delivered into orbit by the shuttle Atlantis ("Atlantis") and docked to the "Crystal". With the launch of the Priroda module into orbit in April 1996, the construction of the station was completed. All modules of the station housed scientific equipment, including foreign equipment from 27 countries of the world. Mir had six docking stations.

The Mir station had a length of about 30 m and weighed more than 140 tons (with two docked ships), of which 11.5 tons were scientific equipment. The total volume of sealed compartments was about 400 cubic meters. m, area solar panels- 76 sq. m. The working orbit was at an altitude of 320-420 km.

Delivery of the main crews and supply of the station was carried out by manned spacecraft Soyuz T, Soyuz TM and automatic cargo vehicles Progress, Progress M, Progress M1.

Exploitation

The first expedition consisting of commander Leonid Kizim and flight engineer Vladimir Solovyov arrived at the station on March 15, 1986 on the Soyuz T-15 spacecraft, the cosmonauts worked in orbit for more than four months (125 days).

In total, 28 long-term main expeditions worked on Mir. Since 1987, international programs have been implemented within the framework of visiting expeditions with the participation of representatives of other states.

During the entire period of operation of the station, 104 cosmonauts and astronauts (11 of them women) visited it, including 62 foreigners - representatives of the European Space Agency and 11 countries (Austria, Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Germany, Canada, Syria, Slovakia, USA , France, Japan). Talgat Musabaev performed work at the station under the programs of Russia and Kazakhstan (1994, 1998).

In 1995-1998, work was carried out jointly with the United States under the Mir-Shuttle and Mir-NASA programs, within which nine shuttle dockings with Mir were carried out (44 American astronauts visited the station in total).

From the orbital complex, 78 EVAs were performed with a total duration of 359 hours and 12 minutes (including three EVAs into the depressurized Spektr module).

During the operation of Mir, 105 spacecraft flights were made to it: 31 manned and 64 cargo (USSR, RF), as well as 10 American shuttles (9 dockings and one flight around the station).

31.2 thousand sessions of experiments were conducted in various fields of science and technology (astrophysics, biotechnology, geophysics, medicine and biotechnology, etc.), including 7.6 thousand under international programs.

At the station "Mir" Russian cosmonauts Two world records were set, which have not been broken so far. Valery Polyakov carried out the longest flight - 437 days 17 hours 58 minutes 17 seconds (from January 1994 to March 1995). Anatoly Solovyov holds the record for most spacewalks - 16 (78 hours 48 minutes), which he made during expeditions to the Mir.

Flooding

Initially, it was assumed that the station would operate in orbit for five years. However, the lack of funds led to the fact that the creation of a "replacement" of the station was delayed. On the Mir, work was regularly carried out to extend her life. During the existence of the orbital complex, about 1.5 thousand malfunctions were registered. The most serious accident occurred on June 25, 1997: while re-docking, the Progress M-34 cargo ship (launched on April 6 of the same year) crashed into the Spektr module, which led to depressurization of the module. The three cosmonauts who were on the Mir at that time were not injured, having managed to close the passage hatch in time.

In the summer of 1998, the question was raised about the completion of the operation of Mir, subsequently the deadline for flooding the complex was postponed three times. On June 16, 2000, the crew of the 28th expedition mothballed and left the station, it was transferred to an unmanned automatic flight mode. The final decision to flood the station was made in December 2000.

On March 23, 2001, the Russian space station "Mir" was flooded in the Pacific Ocean - in its non-navigable southern part, near Christmas Island. The flooding operation took place fully automatically and took about seven hours. Most of the structure of the complex burned down in the dense layers of the atmosphere, the remaining fragments fell into the ocean.

The total flight time of Mir was 15 years, one month and four days (5510 days 8 hours 32 minutes). The station made more than 86 thousand orbits around the Earth and flew a distance of about 3.7 billion km.

Contribution to the creation of the ISS

The experience of building a modular orbital complex and operating Mir was used to create the International space station, which has been in Earth orbit since 1998.