The Mir Space Station has been an important contributor to the exploration of space. Mir was developed and launched on February 20, 1986, by the USSR. Mir stands for "peace" or "world". It is not the USSR’s first space station. Beginning in 1971, the USSR launched a series of space stations called Salyut 1 - 7. Not all the Salyut missions were successful but the USSR learned to improve their designs.

Mir is a space laboratory that allows long length space missions. It has six docking stations and can dock with all kinds of different spacecraft. There are four main compartments:

	Docking compartment - These docking areas are used for bringing in new crew members, attaching experimental modules, and holding the power supply system.
	Work compartment - This area contains navigation, communications, and altitude control.
	Living compartment - This area houses up to six cosmonauts. It has living, sleeping, and exercise facilities.
	Propulsion compartment - It has two rocket motors used for flight adjustments. It contains the fuel and heating system.

Mir also has additional modules. These modules provide equipment for research in the areas of astronomy, biology, and atmospheric studies. In addition, the cosmonauts study the effects of space on humans.

A Soyuz-TM is used to transport crew and cargo. The space station orbits the Earth at an altitude of about 225 miles (362 km). It completes about 16 orbits each day. The space station’s speed is 17,500 miles (28,164 km) per hour.

Mir has been in space a long time. During this time, the USSR has had to fix some problems during repair missions. Also, updated equipment has been added to the space station. Since Mir is so old, some people are worried that it might have a major failure. In June, 1997, a Progress supply ship collided with a module. Air pressure was lost and emergency measures were started. The crew and space station survived.

In July, 1999, Kazakhstan, home of the Baikonur cosmodrome, refused to let a Mir supply ship be launched. Kazakhstan was angry about the environmental damage that followed a failed satellite launch. There was also a disagreement about rent for the launch facilities. Eventually, the supply ship was sent but other problems may occur in the future.

The future of Mir is clouded. Russia requires additional funding to maintain the space station. This, in combination with the more frequent equipment problems and Russia’s commitment to the International Space Station, could doom Mir. On August 23, 1999, the space station was left unmanned. If Mir cannot be supported, Russia will make arrangements for the craft to burn up in the atmosphere.

In January, 2000, news reports speculated that the Russian space agency is considering several options to prolong Mir’s life. These include providing vacation expeditions for wealthy individuals and renting the craft as a film location. Time will tell whether these reports prove accurate and feasible.

Mir has been an important part in working on space stations. It has helped increase our knowledge.

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