Station "Mir": how the first research base appeared in orbit

20 years have passed since the flooding of the world's first modular orbital research station, the Soviet-Russian Mira, in the Pacific Ocean, and 35 years have passed since its launch. "Peace" wasOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos multipurpose international center, survived several accidents and the collapse of the Soviet Union, became the prototype of the International Space Station (ISS). Lifehacker tells about the history of this grandiose project.

How the USSR mastered the earth's orbit to the Mir station

By the beginning of the 70s, it became clear T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. M. 2020 that the USSR lost to the USA lunar race. However, the Soviet leadership did not give up and set a new goal for the designers: to become the first power to launch a permanent orbital station. Its advantage was that astronauts could stay in space for many months, as well as successfully conduct scientific experiments.

This is how the history of Soviet orbital stations began.

Military projects

For the first time, plans to create a "manned orbiting laboratory" (Manned Orbiting Laboratory) announced T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. - M., 2020 NASA in 1963. American engineers and designers assumed that it would be a device capable of flying around the Earth for about 40 days and accommodating a crew of two astronauts. At the same time, the main task of the mission was military intelligence.

Already in 1964, in response to this, the USSR began T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. M. 2020 development of the military orbital station "Almaz". The project was very ambitious for its time. It was supposed to create a station with living, engine and working compartments. In the latter, it was planned to install a 2.5-meter telescopecamera "Agat-1" - the most powerful device of this type in the world at that time.

With the help of a telescope, the Soviet military hoped to create detailed photographic maps of the area. It was also possible that weapons were deployed to combat other satellites and bombard ground targets. The crew of the reconnaissance station was supposed to consist of three people.

But "Almaz" was never completed. By the end of the 1960s, it became apparent that complex orbital military projects were expensive, but in fact, with the same intelligence unmanned satellites did just as well. Both the USA and the USSR ended up curtailing such programs.

Station "Salyut-1"

However, the experience was not gained in vain: the specialists of TsKBEM (in the past - the Korolev design bureau) suggested T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. - M., 2020 to use the developments of "Almaz" for scientific and economic needs. The design of such an orbital station was much simpler, and it could be implemented faster. This is how the history of the Salyut long-term orbital station began.

The Soviet designers created the Salyut in the shortest possible time - due to the fact that the hull of the Almaz and the Soyuz spacecraft, which was used to control the station, were actually ready. There was also a Proton rocket, on which the object was eventually brought into orbit.

The Proton ships were among the engineering wonders of the USSR. For example, one of the most successful missiles of this series, Proton-K, was launched 310 times from 1967 to 2012, which indicates maximum reliability.

In April 1971, Salyut-1 was withdrawn T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. - M., 2020 into orbit in unmanned mode. The first space station in history was in flight for 175 days, although the astronauts stayed on it for only 22 days.

The first crew could not dock to the station, due to the fact that the mechanism was not fully thought out. In June 1971, the second expedition set off on board Salyut-1. For the first time in history, its members spent more than 10 days in space flight, namely three weeks. Despite the relatively successful work at the station, the crew faced a tragic fate. Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsaev died during landing due to depressurization of the descent module of the Soyuz spacecraft.

Work on "Salute" was T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. - M., 2020 stopped. Within 27 months the USSR did not perform space launches at all while the designers were finalizing the Soyuz systems. As a result, the controls were placed so that anyone could be reached without getting up from the chair, and an additional oxygen cylinder took the place of one of the crew members. Also, Soviet cosmonauts began to fly only in spacesuits.

After that, flights under the Salute program continued. Each expedition set new records for the duration of being in orbit.

The last in the lineup was the Salyut-7 station. She was launchedMir FAQs - Facts and history. The Europian Space Agency in 1982 and fell to The earth in 1991. Debris from a 40 tonne structure that lost control may have fallen into Argentina.

How the Mir orbital station was created

Project development

All the stations mentioned above were single-module. That is, they were a one-piece structure, which was put into orbit by one spacecraft. "Peace" - straight heir "Salutov" - should have become T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. - M., 2020 the world's first multi-module station. This means that it can be assembled from several parts right in orbit.

The main advantage of this design is that, in fact, the service life of the multi-module complex is unlimited.

In the mid-1970s, this idea sounded in Soviet design circles. The multi-module station project was ready by 1978, and its implementation began a year later. The work was greatly slowed down by the reorientation of the Soviet space industry. The thing is that in 1976 the first American space shuttle, the Space Shuttle Enterprise, was presented. Because of this, the leadership of the Soviet Union turned over its forces to create the reusable spacecraft "Buran".

As a result, the project of a multi-module space station, which could be an excellent answer to the American shuttles, was frozen. T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. - M., 2020 until 1984. It is noteworthy that by that time the United States had only one station - Skylab. She accepted only three missions in 1973-1974 and was mothballed until her fall to Earth in 1979.

Grigory Romanov, secretary of the CPSU Central Committee, played an important role in the resumption of work on Peace. He ordered to prepare the station for February 1986 - for the XXVII Congress of the Communist Party.

The base unit of Mir, originally conceived as Salyut-8, has producedOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos scientific and production association "Energy", formed from TsKBEM. It was equipped with six docking stations knotswhich was an unprecedented decision at the time. The work was supervised by General Designer Valentin Glushko. In total, 280 enterprises of the country worked on the equipment for the station.

Launching the station into orbit

Soviet designers, engineers and workers met the deadline. However, due to haste there was almost no research equipment at the station. In February 1986, five days before the congress, the Proton rocket launchedOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos the main block of the station into earth orbit. It resembled Salyut-7, but in contrast to this project, it was supposed to be docked with other modules, from which Mir would later be assembled.

Basically, the station consisted ofMir FAQs - Facts and history. The Europian Space Agency made of aluminum and other lightweight materials also used in aircraft construction.

At the same time, Mir was visited by the first crew - Leonid Kizim and Vladimir Solovyov. This expedition was very unusual. After working 51 days on the Mir, Kizim and Solovyov flew on a Soyuz T-15 rocketUri J. 35 Years Ago: Launch of Mir Space Station's First Module. NASA to the station "Salyut-7". They had already worked on it in 1984. Here the cosmonauts lived for another 50 days, twice went out into the open space, conducted scientific experiments, and then collected equipment and personal belongings (among them there was a guitar) and returned to Mir again! This was the first and only case in history of "moving" from one orbital station to another. On July 16, 1986, after completing the most difficult space mission, Leonid Kizim and Vladimir Solovyov returned to Earth.

After that, the station remained unoccupied for some time.

Assembling modules and populating the station

A year later, the ship wasOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos the research module "Kvant-1" was docked. It was put into operation by the second crew of the station - Yuri Romanenko and Alexander Laveykin.

This is how Mir became the first modular space station in the world. Following the main unit and Quantum-1, five more components of the complex were gradually put into orbit. Completely assembled, it included seven modules:

• basic (withdrawn in February 1986);
• astrophysical "Quantum-1" (April 1987);
• retrofitting module "Kvant-2" (December 1989);
• technological module "Crystal" (June 1990);
• research "Spectrum" (May 1995);
• additional docking bay (November 1995);
• research module "Nature" (April 1996).

In addition, the Soyuz spacecraft was always docked to the station. On it, the cosmonauts arrived at Mir and left the station. In addition, the Soyuz was an escape pod on which the crew could evacuate in the event of disasters.

Each new module expanded the functionality of the station. For example, on "Quantum-2" there was a crane-manipulator, with the help of which the cosmonauts could independently move the components of the "Mir".

American equipment was installed on Spectra and Priroda - within the framework of an agreement on cooperation in space between Russia and the United States. The parties signed it after the collapse of the USSR. Because of this, the purpose of some components has changed dramatically. For example, according to the Soviet project, "Spectrum" (in early documents - "Octant") was conceived T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. - M., 2020 as a military module equipped with weapons.

It was originally plannedOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos completely assemble the complex in a few years. However, the work on the ground was delayed, and the process eventually stretched out for a decade. Because of this, in April 1989, the astronauts leftUri J. 35 Years Ago: Launch of Mir Space Station's First Module. NASA station and "Mir" remained without a crew until September of the same year. This was the longest downtime in the life of the complex. In many ways, the continuation of the work of the station was facilitated T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. - M., 2020 NASA, which funded the mission in 1991.

What was the life of cosmonauts at the Mir station

The station was intendedOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos for long-term research expeditions in which two or three cosmonauts took part. They supported the operation of the complex, were engaged in technical, medical, biological, geophysical, astrophysical and other experiments. So, the crew of the "Mir" for the first timeMir Space Station. NASA History succeeded receive harvest of wheat grown at the space station.

Also from the "Mir" cosmonauts could launch small satellites of the Earth. Due to this, including mined T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. - M., 2020 money to continue the work of the station.

Space tourism has become another way to raise funds. The first tourist was the Japanese journalist Toyohiro Akiyama, who visited Mir in 1990. TBS broadcaster paid for Akiyama's almost eight-day flight, according to various sources, from 25Alekseev A. Five stars in orbit. Kommersant Power up to 37Ask the ISS crew. Newspaper.ru million US dollars.

The crew directly controlledOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos complex, so the cosmonauts replaced each other right at the station.

Soviet and Russian researchers arrived at Mir on Soyuz rockets through a special docking bay. Usually the journey from the Earth to the station took 50 hours. It was assumed that then for these purposes the Soviet shuttle "Buran" would be used, but this project was never completed due to the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 1995, a special gateway was installed for docking with American shuttles.

Approximately every two months I flew to the stationMir Space Station. NASA History unmanned rocket "Progress" with supply: fuel and equipment, stock oxygen and provisions. Later, Progress was used to deliver cargo to the ISS.

The inner space of the station wasOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos not very large - about 400 m³. The same volume, for example, in a room of 11.5 m² with 3-meter ceilings.

The living area was locatedMir Space Station. NASA History in the base unit. There was a kitchen with a table and cooking utensils, exercise bike and a treadmill with medical equipment. For the crew, mini-cabins were created: each with its own porthole, folding chair and sleeping bag. There was a separate toilet and washroom.

Along the entire interior of the complex, special marks "up" and "down" were applied so that the crew members did not get lost in space. The station maintained a temperature regime of 18 to 28 ° C and a humidity of 20 to 70%. Under these conditions, Russian astronauts lived an average of four to six months.

Unique instruments were created for the crew. For example, a hair clipper with a built-in vacuum cleaner that prevented hair from flying around the station and getting into the airways of astronauts.

One of the problems of "Mir" becameMir Space Station. NASA History accidents, which became especially frequent after the complex was 10 years old. In February 1997, there was a 15-minute fire in a device that generates oxygen. The living module was covered with acrid smoke, and six people were cut off from the rescue ship. Fortunately, we managed to cope with the fire with the help of regular fire extinguishers.

In June of the same year, during docking, the Progress supply ship collided with the station and damaged the Spektr module. This led to a leakage of the component, and it became unusable.

Smaller incidents such as failures of oxygen systems and temperature control devices, problems with the orientation of the station in space, computer failures and power outages happened periodically. This was due to the fact that, despite the abundance solar batteries, the station could not get rid of the "energy hunger". The collision with Progress played its role: the out-of-service Spektr previously produced up to 40% of the plant's energy.

Another problem becameMir Space Station. NASA History equipment accumulated over the years. American astronaut Mike Fole, who visited Mir, compared it to a student dorm room, only more tidy and well-groomed.

Sometimes the members of the Mir crew became participants in advertising campaigns. For example, the Israeli milk producer Tnuva, as well as Omega, The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo Inc., were promoting their products in orbit. Expensive "space" advertising made it possible to raise money to continue the operation of the station.

Why the Mir station is a significant milestone in the history of astronautics

Mir has indeed become a huge achievement for the Soviet and Russian aerospace industry. The contribution of domestic designers and pilots, involved in the work of this station, in the development of astronautics are also recognized in NASAUri J. 35 Years Ago: Launch of Mir Space Station's First Module. NASA, and at the European Space AgencyMir FAQs - Facts and history. The Europian Space Agency.

Mir was the last but incredible success of the USSR in the space race

In the later stages of the existence of the USSR, the Soviet state found it increasingly difficult to compete with the United States. It is all the more surprising that, despite some failuresThe Soviet Union launched a space project, which no country could implement alone, either before or after Mir.

The total weight of the entire station assembly wasOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos more than 125 tons. It wasMir Space Station. NASA History the largest structure in earth orbit. Only the ISS managed to surpass this figure.

The station remained for 15 yearsOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos the only space laboratory in the world. About 23,000 scientific and medical experiments were carried out there. In total, 28 main expeditions worked on the Mir, nine more visited the complex. From 1989 to 1999 - for almost 10 years - the station wasMir Space Station. NASA History continuously inhabited.

The great achievement of Soviet engineers wasOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos a unique device of the spacecraft, which made it possible to literally assemble and disassemble it during flight, like a designer.

Despite the accidents, Mir served three times longerResults of flight tests of the Mir manned orbital complex. Roscosmos the deadline set by the designers: 15 years instead of five. During this time, the station madeOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos 86 331 orbits around the Earth.

In fact, Soviet cosmonautics determined the further development of the orbital flight industry. It is not surprising that the design features of the Mir borrowUri J. 35 Years Ago: Launch of Mir Space Station's First Module. NASA, for example, Chinese specialists to create their own near-earth stations "Tiangong" and "Tianhe".

The station laid the foundation for international space missions

"Mir" has becomeOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos the first international platform for space exploration. International scientific programs have been implemented at the station since 1987. Researchers from France, Bulgaria, Japan, Great Britain, Germany, Kazakhstan, Austria, USA, Canada, Slovakia, Syria and Afghanistan took part in them. A total of 102 people visited the facility.

Interesting fact: the American astronauts who visited the station were T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. - M., 2020 more than Soviet and Russian cosmonauts: 44 and 42 people, respectively. The US crews were more diverse in composition and in general flew more often, spending less time on the Mir. From Russia and the USSR, the same cosmonauts were often sent to the station, who, moreover, had been in orbit for several months. For example, the complex was visited by eight American women and only one Russian woman - Elena Kondakova.

In 1994, in the framework of the Euromir 94 program, Mir tookMir Space Station. NASA History the first mission of the European Space Agency. And in 1995-1998, American space shuttles docked to the station as part of the Mir - Shuttle and Mir - NASA programs.

American astronauts on seven Mir missions have spent over 1,000 days in space. Thus, the station facilitated cooperation between the two powers in the development of near-earth spaces. The complex made it possible to work out the interaction of various space agencies and international space crews on long flights, including in emergency situations.

The experience of the Soviet-Russian complex wasContribution of the Mir station to the creation of the International Space Station. Roscosmos used in design and launch ISS. For example, Mir has demonstrated the effectiveness of the modular principle for the creation of multi-ton space stations. The possibility of long-term - more than 15 years - operation of such facilities has been experimentally confirmed. The means of delivery of equipment and resources were tested: rockets "Soyuz", "Progress", as well as space shuttles.

In the work on the ISS played T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. - M., 2020 their role and the vast experience of Soviet designers in the creation of orbital stations, which specialists from other countries simply did not have. The idea of ​​the ISS is rooted in the American Freedom project in 1984, but the work was far from complete before the Russian rocket scientists were connected. Today the ISS has 15 modules, five of which are made in the Russian Federation.

The station has set many space records.

So, the Russian cosmonaut and candidate of medical sciences Valery Polyakov longerSpace records at the Mir orbital station. Roscosmos all of the earthlings were continuously in space flight - more than 437 days, that is, approximately one year and two months.

Polyakov's colleague Sergey Avdeev set a record for the total stay in orbit - more than 747 days, that is, he spent more than two years in his three space expeditions. This number was exceeded by the Russian cosmonaut Gennady Padalka in 2015 - he spent more than 878 days in space in total.

Anatoly Solovyov at the Mir station putMir Space Station. NASA History the record for the duration of spacewalks. In total, he visited "overboard" 16 times and stayed there for a total of 82 hours and 22 minutes. In particular, he was engaged in the repair of the station after the collision with the "Progress".

The record holders who visited the station becameSpace records at the Mir orbital station. Roscosmos Elena Kondakova and Shannon Lucid. The Russian cosmonaut spent more than 178 days in outer space, of which 169 - on the "Mir", and the astronaut from the United States - 223 and 179 days, respectively.

All this helpedMir Space Station. NASA History to better understand how a long stay in space affects the human body.

How and why the Mir orbital station was flooded

No object in near-earth orbit can rotate indefinitely. So that he does not fall to Earth, you need to giveMir Space Station. NASA History it has additional acceleration, so any orbital station constantly needs fuel. This meant that expensive missile launches to Mir had to be carried out regularly.

And the Russian Space Agency (now - Roscosmos) did not have enough T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. - M., 2020 funds even for the repair of the complex and the reconstruction of modules. The situation with the financing of the space industry deteriorated significantly in the late 1980s, and in the early 90s it became even catastrophic.

The station itself was not in the best technical condition: parts fell off from it and became dangerous space rubbish.

Due to lack of funding since 1999, Mir have becomeTimeline of manned flights. Orbital complex "Mir". RSC Energia named after S. P. Queen less likely to visit crews, he increasingly worked in unmanned mode. And on November 16, 2000, the general director of Roscosmos Yuri Koptev proposed T. Invented in the USSR. The history of inventive thought from 1917 to 1991. - M., 2020 flood the station.

The decision of the Russian leadership to take part in the creation of the ISS, the first module of which was launched in 1998, also played a role. It was very expensive to conduct two expensive space projects, and on December 30, 2000, Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov signed a decree on flooding station "Mir".

Many attempts have been made to preserve the complex. For example, a number of State Duma deputies called for the dismissal of the head of Yuri Koptev from his post. But this "Mir" did not save.

The last expedition of Russian cosmonauts Sergei Zalyotin and Alexander Kaleri to Mir lastedOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos more than 72 days - from April 4 to June 16, 2000. Since then, the complex went into unmanned mode, and the Mission Control Center began to prepare it for flooding.

The news of this causedMir Space Station. NASA History fears among residents of cities over which the orbit of the "Mir" passed, especially in Japan. Previously, parts of other large objects fell in the territories of Canada, Australia and South America, but, fortunately, did not lead to casualties or destruction.

For the operation to be successful, the US government provided its tracking data, trajectory calculations, atmospheric conditions and solar activity. But even the leadership of Energia did not give a 100% guarantee that the station would fall at the designated point. Roskosmos has promised to pay out insurance in the amount of $ 200 million in the event that someone gets hurt during the flooding of the Mir.

However, the procedure took place as usual. On March 23, 2001, the station reachedOrbital station "Mir". Roscosmos dense layers of the atmosphere and caught fire. Its debris fell in the South Pacific Ocean - on the so-called cemetery of spaceships. At this point of the Earth, the most distant from all shores, at a depth of about 4 km, the remains of the "Mir" rest.

The station received most of the energy from solar panels, it did not haveMir FAQs - Facts and history. The Europian Space Agency nuclear reactor and other biologically or chemically hazardous materials. The bulk of the Mir, including residual fuel, burned up when it fell into the ocean. Therefore, the station did not ecological harm.

It is symbolic that just a day earlier theMir Space Station. NASA History the first - Russian-American - expedition to the ISS with Sergey Krikalev, Yuri Gidzenko and William Shepherd. A new era of orbital stations has begun.

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The people involved in the work of the Mir station greeted the news of its flooding with sadness. Many of them have dedicated their entire lives to this space mission.

However, their efforts were not in vain, because the experience of "Mir", which is symbolic, became the property of all mankind. It is not for nothing that Frank Culbertson, who directed the first phase of the "Peace" - "Shuttle" program, in his essayCulbertson Jr. F. L. What's in a Name? NASA History about what the name "Mir" means in Russian, he interpreted this word as "community».

As Mir passed the baton to the ISS, it also became a source of inspiration for new space achievements. Work is already underway to createDeep Space Gateway to Open Opportunities for Distant Destinations international station in orbit of the Moon - Lunar Orbital Platform-Gateway, which will become a staging post on the way to Mars. Also, the first commercial complexes may appear in the near future.

But it all started with Mir.