How the Mir orbital station works: a cosmic masterpiece. 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 achievements were made at the Mir orbital complex. scientific discoveries, 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 carry out operational maintenance and preventive measures, regular transport and technical supplies) 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 "Energia" named after. S. P. Koroleva. The developer and manufacturer of the base unit and modules of the Mir orbital complex, parts of their onboard systems is the State Space Research and Production Center named after. M. V. Khrunicheva. About 200 enterprises and organizations also took part in the development and production of the base unit and modules of the Mir orbital complex, the Soyuz and Progress spacecraft, their onboard systems and ground infrastructure, including: State Research and Production Rocket and Space Center "TSSKB-Progress", Central Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering, General Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau named after. V. P. Barmina, Russian Research Institute of Space Instrumentation, Research Institute of Precision Instruments, Cosmonaut Training Center named after. Yu. A. Gagarina, Russian Academy of Sciences. Control of the Mir orbital complex was provided by the Flight Control Center of the Central Research Institute of Mechanical Engineering.

Base unit - the main link of the entire orbital station, combining its modules into a single complex. The base unit contained control equipment for the service life support systems 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 equipment, as well as crew rest areas. The basic unit consisted of a transition compartment with five passive docking units (one axial and four lateral), a working compartment, an intermediate chamber with one docking unit and an unpressurized unit compartment. All docking units are passive type of the pin-cone system.

Module "Quantum" was intended for carrying out astrophysical and other scientific research and experiments. The module consisted of a laboratory compartment with a transition chamber and an unpressurized compartment of scientific instruments. Maneuvering the module in orbit was ensured using a service unit equipped propulsion system, and detachable after docking the module with the station. The module had two docking units located along its longitudinal axis - active and passive. During autonomous flight, the passive unit was covered by a service unit. The "Kvant" module was docked to the intermediate chamber of the base block (X axis). After mechanical coupling, the tightening process could not be completed due to the fact that a foreign object was in the receiving cone of the station's docking unit. To eliminate this item, the crew required a spacewalk, which took place on April 11-12, 1986.

Module "Kvant-2" was intended to retrofit the station with scientific equipment, equipment and provide crew spacewalks, as well as to conduct a variety of scientific research and experiments. The module consisted of three sealed compartments: instrument-cargo, instrument-scientific, and a special airlock 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 and cargo compartment. The Kvant-2 module and all subsequent modules were docked to the axial docking unit of the transition compartment of the base unit (-X axis), then using a manipulator the module was transferred to the side docking unit 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 intended to conduct technological and other scientific research and experiments and to provide dockings with ships equipped with androgynous-peripheral docking units. The module consisted of two sealed 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 "Crystal" module was located on the side docking unit intended for the "Spectrum" 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 normal position (-Z axis).

Module "Spectrum" was intended for scientific research and research experiments natural resources Earth, upper layers the earth's atmosphere, the orbital complex's own external atmosphere, geophysical processes of natural and artificial origin in near-Earth space and in upper layers the earth's atmosphere, as well as to retrofit the station with additional sources of electricity. The module consisted of two compartments: a sealed instrument and cargo compartment and an unsealed one, on which two main and two additional ones were installed solar panels and scientific instruments. The module had one active docking unit located along its longitudinal axis on the instrument and 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 American ships of the Space Shuttle system with the Mir station without changing its configuration, delivered into orbit on the American ship Atlantis STS- 74 and docked to the Crystal module (-Z axis).

Module "Nature" was intended to conduct scientific research and experiments on the study of the Earth's natural resources, the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere, cosmic radiation, geophysical processes of natural and artificial origin in near-Earth space and the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere. The module consisted of one sealed instrument and cargo compartment. The module had one active docking unit located along its longitudinal axis. The standard position of the "Nature" module as part of the "Mir" station is the Z axis.

Specifications

Video

February 20, 1986 The first module of the Mir station was launched into orbit, which became long years a symbol of Soviet and then Russian space exploration. It has not existed for more than ten years, but its memory will remain in history. And today we will tell you about the most significant facts and events concerning orbital station "Mir".

Mir orbital station - all-Union shock construction

The traditions of all-Union construction projects of the fifties and seventies, during which the country's largest and most significant facilities were erected, continued in the eighties with the creation of the Mir orbital station. True, it was not lowly qualified Komsomol members who worked on it, brought from different corners USSR, and the best production capacities of the state. In total, about 280 enterprises operating under the auspices of 20 ministries and departments worked on this project.

The Mir station project began to be developed back in 1976. It was supposed to become a fundamentally new man-made space object - a real orbital city where people could live and work for a long time. Moreover, not only cosmonauts from Eastern Bloc countries, but also from Western countries.

Active work on the construction of the orbital station began in 1979, but was temporarily suspended in 1984 - all the forces of the space industry Soviet Union went to create the Buran shuttle. However, the intervention of senior party officials, who planned to launch the facility by the XXVII Congress of the CPSU (February 25 - March 6, 1986), made it possible to complete the work in a short time and launch Mir into orbit on February 20, 1986.

Mir station structure

However, on February 20, 1986, a completely different Mir station than we knew appeared in orbit. This was just the base block, which was eventually joined by several other modules, turning Mir into a huge orbital complex connecting residential blocks, scientific laboratories and technical premises, including a module for docking the Russian station with the American space shuttles.

At the end of the nineties, the Mir orbital station consisted of the following elements: base block, modules “Kvant-1” (scientific), “Kvant-2” (household), “Kristall” (docking and technological), “Spectrum” (scientific ), "Nature" (scientific), as well as a docking module for American shuttles.

It was planned that the assembly of the Mir station would be completed by 1990. But economic problems in the Soviet Union, and then the collapse of the state, prevented the implementation of these plans, and as a result, the last module was added only in 1996.

Purpose of the Mir orbital station

The Mir orbital station is, first of all, scientific object, making it possible to conduct unique experiments on it that are not available on Earth. This includes astrophysical research and the study of our planet itself, the processes occurring on it, in its atmosphere and near space.

An important role at the Mir station was played by experiments related to human behavior under conditions of prolonged exposure to weightlessness, as well as in the cramped conditions of a spacecraft. The reaction was studied here human body and psyche for future flights to other planets, and indeed for life in Space, the exploration of which is impossible without this kind of research.

And, of course, the Mir orbital station served as a symbol of the Russian presence in Space, the domestic space program, and, over time, the friendship of cosmonauts from different countries.

Mir - the first international space station

The possibility of attracting cosmonauts from other countries, including non-Soviet countries, to work on the Mir orbital station was included in the project concept from the very beginning. However, these plans were realized only in the nineties, when the Russian space program was experiencing financial difficulties, and therefore it was decided to invite foreign countries to work at the Mir station.

But the first foreign cosmonaut arrived at the Mir station much earlier - in July 1987. It was the Syrian Mohammed Faris. Later, representatives from Afghanistan, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Japan, Austria, Great Britain, Canada and Slovakia visited the site. But most of the foreigners on the Mir orbital station were from the United States of America.

In the early 1990s, the United States did not have its own long-term orbital station, and therefore they decided to join the Russian Mir project. The first American to be there was Norman Thagard on March 16, 1995. This happened as part of the Mir-Shuttle program, but the flight itself was carried out on the domestic Soyuz TM-21 spacecraft.

Already in June 1995, five people flew to the Mir station at once American astronauts. They got there on the Atlantis shuttle. In total, US representatives appeared on this Russian space object fifty times (34 different astronauts).

Space records at the Mir station

The Mir orbital station is itself a record holder. It was originally planned that it would last only five years and would be replaced by the Mir-2 facility. But funding cuts led to its service life being extended for fifteen years. And the time of continuous stay of people on it is estimated at 3642 days - from September 5, 1989 to August 26, 1999, almost ten years (the ISS beat this achievement in 2010).

During this time, the Mir station became a witness and “home” to many space records. More than 23 thousand scientific experiments were carried out there. Cosmonaut Valery Polyakov, while on board, spent 438 days in space continuously (from January 8, 1994 to March 22, 1995), which is still a record achievement in history. And a similar record was set there for women - American Shannon Lucid stayed in outer space for 188 days in 1996 (already broken on the ISS).

Another unique event that occurred on board the Mir station was the first in history on January 23, 1993. Within its framework, two works by Ukrainian artist Igor Podolyak were presented.

Decommissioning and descent to Earth

Breakdowns and technical problems at the Mir station were recorded from the very beginning of its commissioning. But at the end of the nineties it became clear that its further operation would be difficult - the facility was morally and technically outdated. Moreover, at the beginning of the decade, a decision was made to build the International Space Station, in which Russia also took part. And on November 20, 1998, the Russian Federation launched the first element of the ISS - the Zarya module.

In January 2001, a final decision was made on the future flooding of the Mir orbital station, despite the fact that options for its possible rescue arose, including the purchase by Iran. However, on March 23, the Mir was sunk in Pacific Ocean, in a place called the Spaceship Cemetery - this is where objects that have served their service life are sent for eternal stay.

Residents of Australia that day, fearing “surprises” from the long-problematic station, jokingly posted on their land plots sights, hinting that this is where a Russian object could fall. However, the flooding passed without unforeseen circumstances– “Mir” went under water approximately in the area where it should have been.

Legacy of the Mir orbital station

Mir became the first orbital station built on a modular principle, when many other elements necessary to perform certain functions can be attached to the base unit. This gave impetus to a new round of development outer space. And even with future creation, long-term orbital modular stations will still be the basis for human presence beyond the Earth.

The modular principle, developed at the Mir orbital station, is now used at the International Space Station. On this moment, it consists of fourteen elements.

Orbital complex “Soyuz TM-26” - “Mir” - “Progress M-37” January 29, 1998. Photo taken from the Endeavor during Expedition STS-89

"Mir" is a manned research vehicle that operated in near-Earth space from February 20, 1986 to March 23, 2001.

Story

The station project began to take shape in 1976, when NPO Energia issued Technical Proposals for the creation of improved long-term orbital stations. A preliminary design was released in August 1978 new station. In February 1979, work began on the creation of a new generation station, work began on the base unit, on-board and scientific equipment. But by the beginning of 1984, all resources were thrown into the Buran program, and work on the station was practically frozen. The intervention of the Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Grigory Romanov, who set the task of completing work on the station by the XXVII Congress of the CPSU, helped.

280 organizations worked on “The World” under the auspices of 20 ministries and departments. The design of the Salyut series stations became the basis for the creation of the Mir orbital complex and the Russian segment. The base unit was launched into orbit on February 20, 1986. Then, over the course of 10 years, six more modules were docked to it, with the help of the Lyapp space manipulator, one after another.

Since 1995, foreign crews began to visit the station. Also, 15 visiting expeditions visited the station, 14 of them international, with the participation of astronauts from Syria, Bulgaria, Afghanistan, France (5 times), Japan, Great Britain, Austria, Germany (2 times), Slovakia, and Canada.

As part of the Mir Shuttle program, seven short-term visiting expeditions were carried out using the Atlantis spacecraft, one using the Endeavor spacecraft and one using the Discovery spacecraft, during which 44 astronauts visited the station.

In the late 1990s, numerous problems began at the station due to the constant failure of various instruments and systems. After some time, the Russian government, citing the high cost of further operation, despite the numerous existing projects to save the station, decided to sink the Mir. March 23, 2001, having worked three times longer than originally deadline the station was flooded in a special area in the South Pacific.

In total, 104 cosmonauts from 12 countries worked at the orbital station. 29 cosmonauts and 6 astronauts performed spacewalks. During its existence, the Mir orbital station transmitted about 1.7 terabytes of scientific information. The total mass of cargo returning to Earth with the results of experiments is about 4.7 tons. The station photographed 125 million square kilometers earth's surface. Experiments on higher plants were carried out at the station.

Station records:

Valery Polyakov - continuous stay in space for 437 days 17 hours 59 minutes (1994 - 1995).
Shannon Lucid - duration record space flight among women - 188 days 4 hours 1 minute (1996).
The number of experiments is more than 23,000.

Compound

Long-term orbital station "Mir" (base unit)

Seventh long-term orbital station. Designed to provide working and rest conditions for the crew (up to six people), control the operation of on-board systems, supply electricity, provide radio communications, transmit telemetric information, television images, receive command information, attitude control and orbit correction, ensure rendezvous and docking of target modules and transport ships , maintaining a given temperature and humidity regime of the living space, structural elements and equipment, providing conditions for astronauts to enter outer space, conducting scientific and applied research and experiments using the delivered target equipment.

Starting weight - 20900 kg. Geometric characteristics: body length - 13.13 m, maximum diameter - 4.35 m, volume of sealed compartments - 90 m 3, free volume - 76 m 3. The station design included three sealed compartments (transition, working and transition chambers) and an unsealed aggregate compartment.

Target modules

"Quantum"

"Quantum"- experimental (astrophysical) module of the Mir orbital complex. Designed to conduct a wide range of research, primarily in the field of extra-atmospheric astronomy.

Starting weight - 11050 kg. Geometric characteristics: body length - 5.8 m, maximum body diameter - 4.15 m, sealed compartment volume - 40 m 3. The module design included a sealed laboratory compartment with a transition chamber and an unpressurized compartment for scientific instruments.

Launched as part of a modular experimental transport ship on March 31, 1987 at 03:16:16 UHF from launcher No. 39 of the 200th site of the Baikonur Cosmodrome by the Proton-K launch vehicle.

"Kvant-2"

"Kvant-2"- module for retrofitting the Mir orbital complex. Designed to retrofit the orbital complex with equipment and scientific equipment, as well as to ensure astronauts go into outer space.

Starting weight - 19565 kg. Geometric characteristics: hull length - 12.4 m, maximum diameter - 4.15 m, volume of sealed compartments - 59 m 3. The design of the module included three sealed compartments: instrument-cargo, instrument-scientific, and special airlock.

Launched on November 26, 1989 at 16:01:41 UHF from launcher No. 39 of the 200th site of the Baikonur Cosmodrome by the Proton-K launch vehicle.

"Crystal"

"Crystal"- technological module of the Mir orbital complex. Designed for pilot industrial production of semiconductor materials, purification of biologically active substances in order to obtain new medicines, growing crystals of various proteins and cell hybridization, as well as for conducting astrophysical, geophysical and technological experiments.

Starting weight - 19640 kg. Geometric characteristics: body length - 12.02 m, maximum diameter - 4.15 m, volume of sealed compartments - 64 m 3. The design of the module included two sealed compartments: instrument-cargo and instrument-docking.

Launched on May 31, 1990 at 13:33:20 UHF from launcher No. 39 of the 200th site of the Baikonur Cosmodrome by a Proton-K launch vehicle.

"Range"

"Range"- optical module of the Mir orbital complex. Designed to study the natural resources of the Earth, the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere, the orbital complex's own external atmosphere, geophysical processes of natural and artificial origin in near-Earth space and in the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere, cosmic radiation, biomedical research, behavioral studies various materials in open space conditions.

Starting weight - 18807 kg. Geometric characteristics: body length - 14.44 m, maximum diameter - 4.15 m, sealed compartment volume - 62 m 3. The module design consists of a sealed instrument-cargo compartment and an unpressurized compartment.

Launched on May 20, 1995 at 06:33:22 UHF from launcher No. 23 of the 81st site of the Baikonur Cosmodrome by a Proton-K launch vehicle.

"Nature"

"Nature"- research module of the Mir orbital complex. Designed to study the surface and atmosphere of the Earth, the atmosphere in the immediate vicinity of the "Mir", the influence of cosmic radiation on the human body and the behavior of various materials in outer space, as well as the production of highly pure medicines in conditions of weightlessness.

Starting weight - 19340 kg. Geometric characteristics: body length - 11.55 m, maximum diameter - 4.15 m, sealed compartment volume - 65 m 3. The module design included one sealed instrument and cargo compartment.

Launched on April 23, 1996 at 14:48:50 UHF from launcher No. 23 of the 81st site of the Baikonur Cosmodrome by a Proton-K launch vehicle.

Module of the Mir orbital complex. Designed to enable docking of the Space Shuttle.

Weight together with two delivered and attachment points to the cargo compartment of the Space Shuttle is 4350 kg. Geometric characteristics: body length - 4.7 m, maximum length- 5.1 m, diameter of the sealed compartment - 2.2 m, maximum width (at the ends of the horizontal mounting axles in the shuttle cargo compartment) - 4.9 m, maximum height (from the end of the keel axle to the additional SB container) - 4.5 m, the volume of the sealed compartment is 14.6 m 3. The module design included one sealed compartment.

It was delivered into orbit by the Space Shuttle Atlantis on November 12, 1995 during the STS-74 mission. The module, along with the Shuttle, docked at the station on November 15.

Transport ships "Soyuz"

Soyuz TM-24 docked to the transfer compartment of the Mir orbital station. Photo taken from the Atlantis spacecraft during the STS-79 expedition

Mir space station(Salyut-8) is the world's first orbital station with a spatial modular design. The beginning of work on the project should be considered 1976, when NPO Energia developed Technical Proposals for the creation of improved orbital stations intended for long-term operation. The launch of the Mir space station took place in February 1986, when the base unit was launched into low-Earth orbit, to which 6 more modules were added over the next 10 years for various purposes. Many records were set at the Mir space station, ranging from the uniqueness and complexity of the design of the station itself, to the length of stay of crews on it. Since 1995, the station has essentially become international. It is visited by international crews, which included cosmonauts from Austria, Afghanistan, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Germany, Canada, Slovakia, Syria, France, and Japan. The spacecraft providing communication between the Mir space station and the Earth were the manned Soyuz and the Progress cargo ship. In addition, the possibility of docking with American spacecraft was provided. According to the Mir-Shuttle program, 7 expeditions were organized on the Atlantis ship and one expedition on the Discovery ship, within which 44 cosmonauts visited the station. In total, at the Mir orbital station in different time There were 104 astronauts from twelve countries. There is no doubt that this project, which was ahead of even the United States in orbital research by a quarter of a century, was a triumph of Soviet cosmonautics.

The Mir orbital station is the world's first modular design

Before the Mir orbital station appeared in space, modularity was used, as a rule, by science fiction writers. Despite the effectiveness of the volumetric modular design, this task was extremely difficult to achieve in practice. After all, the task was not just longitudinal docking (this practice already existed), but docking in the transverse direction. This required complex maneuvers in which the docked modules could damage each other, which is a deadly phenomenon in space. But Soviet engineers found a brilliant solution by equipping the docking station with a special manipulator, which ensured the capture of the docked module and smooth docking. The advanced experience of the Mir orbital station was later used in the International Space Station (ISS).

Almost all the modules (except for the docking station) that made up the station were launched into orbit using a Proton launch vehicle. The composition of the Mir space station modules was as follows:

Base unit was delivered into orbit in 1986. Visually, it resembled the Salyut orbital station. Inside the module there was a wardroom, two cabins, a work compartment with communications equipment and a centralized control station. The base module had 6 docking ports, a portable airlock and 3 solar panels.

Module "Quantum" was launched into orbit in March 1987 and docked at base module in April of the same year. The module included a set of instruments for astrophysical observations and biotechnological experiments.

Module "Kvant-2" was delivered into orbit in November and docked with the station in December 1989. The main purpose of the module was to provide additional comfort to the astronauts. Kvant-2 included life support equipment for the Mir space station. In addition, the module had 2 solar panels with a rotating mechanism.

Module "Crystal" was a docking and technological module. It was launched into orbit in June 1990. Docked to the station in July of the same year. The module had a variety of purposes: research papers in the field of materials science, medical and biological research, astrophysical observations. Distinctive feature The "Crystal" module was equipped with a docking mechanism for ships weighing up to 100 tons. It was planned to dock with the spacecraft as part of the Buran project.

Module "Spectrum" intended for geophysical research. Docked to the Mir orbital station in June 1995. With its help, studies of the earth's surface, ocean and atmosphere were carried out.

Docking module had a narrowly targeted purpose and was intended to be able to dock American reusable spacecraft with the station. The module was delivered by the Atlantis spacecraft and docked in November 1995.

Module "Nature" contained equipment for studying human behavior during long-term flight in space. In addition, the module was used to observe the Earth's surface in various wavelength ranges. It was launched into orbit and docked in April 1996.

Why was the Mir space station flooded?

At the end of the 90s of the 21st century, the station began serious problems with equipment that began to fail en masse. As you know, it was decided to decommission the station by flooding it in the ocean. When asked why they flooded space station“Mir”, the official response was associated with the unjustified high cost of further use and restoration of the station. However, it later turned out that there were more reasons for such a decision good reasons. In particular, the cause of massive equipment breakdowns was mutated microorganisms that settled in a wide variety of places at the station. They then disabled the wiring and various equipment. The scale of this phenomenon turned out to be so large that, despite various projects saving the station, it was decided not to take risks, but to destroy it along with its uninvited inhabitants. In March 2001, the Mir station was sunk in the Pacific Ocean.

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