The
so-called Soviet Russia or today's Russia has shown us the way to go beyond the
gravity of earth and study space for a long time in a somewhat earth-like environment.
The first Salyut Space Station in 1971, the Skylab Space Station in 1973, and
the state-of-the-art of that time Mir Space Station ushered in a new era in
space exploration.
The
purpose of building the world's first modulated Mir Space Station is to further
enhance the Salyut mission. To this end, the mission was approved by the
Russian government on 17th February1976. NPO Energy was assigned to construct
the various parts of Mir whose meaning is "Peace" in Russian
language. The design of Mir was first published to the public in 1982-83. Then
from 1984 the construction of the main structure started. This work was
suspended and resumed at various times for various reasons. After the first
module was made, it was sent to the Baikanur Cosmodrome, now in Kazakhstan.
After various tests, on May 6, 1985, that part was brought to the launch pad.
But for various reasons, the launch date was delayed and the date was fixed as
17th February 1986. But again some technological pitfalls arose. Finally after
3 days, after overcoming all obstacles, that module was sent into space on 19th
February and after that day onwards, the official mission of Mir Space Station
had started.
All
the space stations that went into space before Mir were built with only a
single module. But this station was made up of 7 different modules. Due to the
high technical complexity, it took about 10 years to fully develop. The modules
of this third generation space station are:
1. Mir Core Module: Another name for
this part is DOS-7. It was launched on 19th February1986. The artificial earth
like atmosphere was created to accommodate astronauts. Also the main control
room of the space station and the main engine were here. This module was made
with materials made for the Salyut mission.
2. Kvant-1 Module: Another name for
this part was the Astrophysics module. It was the only engineless part of the
Mir. There were various scientific instruments like X-ray telescope,
Ultraviolet telescope, Wide angle camera, X-ray detector, Ultraviolet detector
etc. There was also a lot of equipment to save the lives of astronauts. This
module was launched into space on 31st March 1987.
3. Kvant-2 Module: Another name for
this part was Augmentation Module. This module was launched into space on 26th
November 1989. The module was divided into three parts, one containing the
equipment needed to produce the water from the urine obtained from the
astronaut's body.
4. Kristall Module: Another name for
this part was Technology Module. This part was sent into space on 31st May1990.
This module was divided into two parts, the first part was used for various
research works and the second part was used as a docking port. (Docking Port:
The specific area of the space station where manned or unmanned cargo
spacecraft would land and return to earth)
5. Spektr Module: Another name for
this part is Power Module which was launched on 20th May 1990. The altitude at
which Mir was located outside the earth seemed weightless, but in reality it
was not without gravity. The force of gravity was 88% of the gravitational
force of the earth's sea level. This condition is called microgravity. Research
on various subjects such as biology, physiology, physics, astronomy,
meteorology, spacecraft, etc. was carried out here in microgravity. Besides,
two more works were done here. The four solar panels installed on the outside
of this section supplied power to most of the space station. Later NASA
astronauts lived here. But that part had to be scrapped in 1997 for colliding
with an unmanned cargo spacecraft.
6. Docking Module: This is the only
part that NASA spacecraft Atlantis took to space. This module was launched on 15th
November 1995. This
section was originally built as a platform for landing and re-launching
spacecraft from earth.
7. Priroda Module: Another name for
this part is Earth Sensing Module which was launched into space on 26th April
1996. With the exception of the only Docking Module, this module, like the rest
of the module, was carried into space by the Russian Proton-K spacecraft. The
task of this module was to find out the various natural resources of the world
through remote sensing. Different types of electromagnetic waves were used in
this work and 12 more countries of the world were involved in this work.
In
addition to these modules, many small and large parts were fitted with Mir,
most notably the two cranes and the robotic arm fitted to each module. A total
of seven photovoltaic cells or solar panels of different sizes were installed
in this station. Nickel-cadmium batteries stored the 28 watt DC electric from
sunlight. If these solar cells were damaged by the effects of different types
of rays in space, they would be changed at different times. The last such
change was made in 1997. After completion, the total weight of the Mir Space
Station, excluding human and spacecraft, was 1,29,700 kg. At the time of
rotation of the earth, the distance of this station from the earth was between
296 km to 421 km. With an average speed of 27,700 km per hour, the spacecraft
rotated the earth 15.7 times per day.
The
space stations rotate at a certain distance from the earth, but very little due
to natural causes, every moment they come down to the earth little by little.
If the amount of this descent increased a lot, the space station would be
mechanically brought to its specific height. The same thing happened with Mir
several times. Mir was controlled by the Russian Space Control Centre of the
Russian Federation's Space Agency (Later by Roscosmos, after the dissolution of
the Soviet Union on 26th December1991), located in the town of Korolyov, near
the Russian capital Moscow. Radio signals were used to communicate with the
earth's control room. In addition, when astronauts went out of the station for
necessities or when a spacecraft was docked and unloaded, it was communicated
through a special type of wave called Ultra High Frequency Radio. The
astronauts communicated with their family members directly via audio-video
connections through Lira antenna, mounted on the core module.
Mir
had a special system called Environmental Control and Life Support System
(ECLSS). The main function of this system was to control the air pressure
inside the station. The air pressure at the station was exactly the same as on
Earth (14.7 Pascal) but there was no pure oxygen in the breathing air because
if for some reason fire sparks were generated for an accident, the effect of
combustible oxygen could increase the chances of catching fire at the station
many times over. The system was also effective in collecting and processing
waste products of human metabolism, such as carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia,
etc., and purifying the water. Liquid waste was collected from the sinks and
toilets and the required drinking water and oxygen were produced from it.
It
usually accommodated three people, but up to six astronauts could comfortably
stay for up to a month. Everyday daily activities and important operations were
performed here in accordance with the local time of Moscow, the capital of
Russia. Since the Mir space station had sunrise and sunset more than fifteen
times every twenty-four hours, when it was night time in Moscow local time, the
glass of windows of station were covered with curtains to create a night-like
atmosphere. The astronauts' day began here at 8 a.m. of Moscow time. After
personal hygiene and breakfast, the first half of the work was done from 10 am
to 1 pm. The time between 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. in the afternoon was the time for
some physical exercise. Lunch time was from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. From 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.
the second half of working was done again. Again physical exercise time started
from 6 to 7 in the evening. 7 o'clock in the evening was the time for supper.
After that, the astronauts could spend time on their own. During this time,
astronauts would watch movies, read books, draw pictures, or talk to ordinary
people of the earth through Ham Radio. Every activity in Mir, done by
astronauts, was according to preplanned itinerary.
Physical
exercising while in space is an important and mandatory task. Muscle wasting
and decreasing bone density are the normal thing. Weight loss will be followed
by fatigue and constant tiredness. In addition, distribution of body-fluids are
affected, heart rate slows down, red blood cell production decreases, fatigue
is felt, body balance problem, decreases immunity, body weight loss, nasal
congestion, sleep disturbances, flatulence puffiness of the face, etc. are seen
in all astronauts regardless of male or female. But some of the physical issues
of women are not yet understood properly. Seeing all this, Mir had two
treadmills and two stationary bicycles to alleviate the physical problems to
some extent of the astronauts. There, every astronaut had to cycle at least 10
km a day and walk 5 km.
If
there is anything more to be said about the lives of astronauts, then their
diet and rest should also be mentioned. The food quality of the astronauts at
the station was strictly monitored. Daily intake was at least 100 gram of
protein, 130 gram of fat and 330 gram of carbohydrates. In addition to this,
necessary minerals and vitamins were given at different times. All food on the
space station was processed, canned and frozen. With a few simple methods it
was made fit to eat. Tea, coffee and fruit juice were also taken several times
a day. Also on special days a small amount of vodka, brandy etc. was allowed,
but smoking was strongly prohibited. The sleeping arrangements were not at all
as comfortable as in our earth. Sleeping bags were attached to the wall of the
space station. The astronauts got into it and had to sleep with their belts
tied. If the astronauts had not tied themselves to the belts, they might have
fallen asleep and drifted somewhere else. There was one more thing that made
very dangerous. The place where the astronauts slept had a very high level of
ventilation because without such arrangements the carbon dioxide, emitted by
the astronauts, could have accumulated in their heads and created a suffocating
environment.
Mir had two toilets and a few sinks. Solid waste from the toilet was collected in separate bags and removed in aluminum containers. Liquid waste was collected and used in two ways. Some of the liquid was purified and reused as drinking water, and the rest was used to make oxygen for respiration. To reduce the use of water, the residents of this station used edible toothpaste, rinse-less soap and shampoo. The astronauts' bath was to wipe the body with a towel or tissue paper or a napkin soaked in water. However, it is true that inside Mir there were so many types of equipments with wires and switches, for scientific research, and other daily use items, for livelihood. All of them were scattered and that the whole station seemed like a messy mess. This information was given from a resident of Mir.
Not
only was Russia involved in the mission, but space agencies from around the
world were also involved in it. In the fifteen-year lifespan of this space
station, the human presence was twelve and a half years. 3,644 hours if taken
as hours. Russian astronaut Valeri Polyakov spent most time in the space
station. He was stationed at the Mir for 437 days and 18 hours from 1994 to
1995. This is a record that no one has ever broken in terms of being in space
for a long time on a single flight. Moreover, the name of Mir space station is
associated with many other records. The first Syrian astronauts to go into
space was Mohammed Faris (1987), the first French astronaut Jean Chrétien
(1988), the first Austrian astronaut Franz Viehböck (1991), the first British
astronaut Helen Sherman (1991), the first Afghan astronaut Abdul Ahmed Mahamand
(1996), first Slovakian astronaut Ivan Bella (1999) reached Mir at some point
during Mir's career. Many other astronauts from other countries also spent
their days at Mir, including Klaus Flade from Germany, Aleksandr Aleksandrov
from Bulgaria, Tayohira Akiyama from Japan, and Chris Hadfield from Canada. A
total of 137 expeditions were carried out around Mir, of which 104 were manned
operations and 28 were major. Going out of the station and doing something from
a floating position in space called the space walk and it had happened a total
of 80 times. A total of 104 astronauts from 12 countries set foot in these
activities. However regrettably, the number of female astronauts was
negligible. A total of 11 women were seen in the Mir expedition, only 10.56 per
cent. The first was Helen Sherman from Britain. Most female astronauts went
from the United States (6) and 1 each from Britain, Russia and France. Besides,
one of the space-tourist was Tayohira Akiyama from Japan. The United States
(44) has more astronauts than Russia (42) in terms of numbers of astronauts
appeared in Mir. Total 64 cargo spacecraft s reached in Mir.
Although
the Mir was built for five years, its effectiveness may have been extended. But
in the early 1990's, a terrible political upheaval broke out in Soviet Russia,
and the ultimate event took place on 26th December1991. The dissolution of the
former Soviet Union created a number of independent states on the map of
Europe, Asia as well as the world. The impact of this incident was felt in all
walks of life. Russia's space research was in dire straits. Mir's maintenance
was hampered and as the consequence of it, its work was disrupted. Russia was
forced to sign an agreement with the United States, a one-time arch-rival, and
in 1993 a joint venture was announced to operate the Mir, renamed the
Shuttle-Mir. In 1994, Discovery arrived in Mir as the second U.S. spacecraft
after Atlantis. But as the financial situation worsened, the situation did not
improve and in June 1998, the then head of Roscosmos, Yuri Koptev, was forced
to announce the end of the Mission Mir in June 1999, and preparations began in
August of that year.
The
following year, in 1999, the Mir Mission was extended for another six months.
Russia has not allocated any money for the agreement with NASA since the
International Space Station has started its work by then. Main computer of Mir
was shut down on 7th September of that year. 140 types of microscopic organisms
were found in Mir mainly due to lack of maintenance. All of these organisms
caused a lot of damage to the station due to the release of acid from their
mould. There were also computer crash, occasional power outages, pipe leaks and
various uncontrolled disturbances. On top of this, the damage caused by small
and large accidents at various times has not been fixed. Towards the end, a
desperate attempt was made to sell Mir to a private company so that
documentaries or movies could be shot there. A private initiative was launched
on 4th April 2000 for this purpose. Sergei Zalyotin and Aleksandr Kaleri
arrived in Mir on a 70-day mission. This was the last expedition in Mir. The
human presence in Mir, which began on 13th March 1986, with a 52-day campaign
led by Leonid Kizim and Vladimir Solovyov, ended on 16th June 2000. On that
day, Mir left the company of mankind forever and started waiting for its last
day. From this, it is clear that the final plan of Roscosmos was not
implemented.
After
that, the last moment had come. According to the plan, the Mir would be brought
down to the dense atmosphere of the earth little by little and brought towards
the earth at high speed. Since there was no thermal coating on the outside of
the Mir, it would burn out due to the intense heat as it moved towards the
earth through friction with the atmosphere. The first step was to wait for Mir
to come within a distance of 420 km to 220 km from the earth naturally. When
Mir reached that distance, scientists started to wait again for the right time
to lower Mir mechanically to avoid death and loss of property when it hit the
earth. After selecting the location and time, Mir was lowered 165 km above the
ground by mechanical assistance. After that the work of the final stage began.
At 5:42 a.m. Moscow time on 23rd March 2001, Mir began to descend through the
dense atmosphere over Fiji. At 5:52 a.m., the main station began to collapse,
and just 8 minutes later, at 6:00 a.m., a small half-burned portion of the Mir
quickly crashed into the South Pacific Ocean. The 4.2 billion or 420 crore
ambitious project of that time came to an end completely.
When something starts, its end is a sure consequence. But the way Mir ended was not desirable in any way. With the proper maintenance, Mir could have done the same today, in the manner in which Voyager is still working with dignity beyond his tenure. But Mir could not be used in that sense because of the dominance of the states, the struggle to establish their country as the best in the world, and all politics around these. The deorbit of Mir was not only the demise of a mechanical infrastructure of the time, but also an extreme devaluation of human talent, an insult to its efficiency. As a result, filthy politics has won but science has lost, people have lost a lot.
DECLARATION: All The Images & Video Have Been Sourced From Google.
