2001, a Mir Odyssey
In the years immediately following the first spaceflight by Yuri Gagarin
in 1961, space exploration was limited to small, uncomfortable capsules
with barely enough room for astronauts to crouch or lie down. It soon
became clear that larger structures were needed to improve living and
working conditions.
Salyut 7 station. Crédits : 1996-1997 The Museum of Cosmonautics
To this end, the former Soviet Union launched and operated a series of seven Salyut stations between 1971 and 1982. The programme culminated at the height of the Cold War in 1986, with the launch of Mir. Named after the Russian word for both “peace” and “world”, the Mir space station remained in service for nearly 15 years before its controlled destruction in March 2001.
Originally a symbol of Soviet supremacy, Mir became a prime example of
cooperation between nation states and a worthy forerunner to the
International Space Station.
As the first ever means of maintaining a semi-permanent human presence in space, it also marked a technological turning point in this great space adventure that began in 1957.
As the first ever means of maintaining a semi-permanent human presence in space, it also marked a technological turning point in this great space adventure that began in 1957.
Last updated: April 2003
