Mir's final hours
Present in residual form up to an altitude of 1,000 km, the atmosphere causes an object of this mass to slow down and lose height. Thermal and mechanical stresses cause most materials to fragment and burn up during re-entry. However, Russia estimated that 10 to 20% of Mir’s initial mass would reach Earth, with the resulting debris scattered across thousands of kilometres. So leaving Mir to its own devices was not an option.
Mir’s destruction was carefully controlled using a Progress vehicle launched with 2.8 tonnes of fuel instead of the usual 700 to 900 kg. Having docked onto Mir, the vehicle effected a series of manoeuvres to control its progress. A special CNES unit in Toulouse, France, had been charged with making the simulations and calculations necessary to predict Mir’s trajectory during the various stages of its descent. It was this same team that then monitored Mir’s deorbiting, relaying information to the air force and remaining in constant contact with Russia’s TsUP Flight Control Centre.
Mir’s destruction was carefully controlled using a Progress vehicle launched with 2.8 tonnes of fuel instead of the usual 700 to 900 kg. Having docked onto Mir, the vehicle effected a series of manoeuvres to control its progress. A special CNES unit in Toulouse, France, had been charged with making the simulations and calculations necessary to predict Mir’s trajectory during the various stages of its descent. It was this same team that then monitored Mir’s deorbiting, relaying information to the air force and remaining in constant contact with Russia’s TsUP Flight Control Centre.
Mir's trajectory of its descent
23 March 2001 at 00.53 (GMT): having already lost altitude naturally, Mir is 230 km above Earth. The Progress vehicle gives a first pull on the brakes.
At 06.50, after 3 more braking manoeuvres, Mir is at an altitude of 92 km and has lost its solar panels. It disintegrates faster and faster as its components heat up to over 2,000° and its re-entry speed climbs to 28,000 km/h.
06.58, and Mir is about 15 km above the Earth’s surface.
At 06.50, after 3 more braking manoeuvres, Mir is at an altitude of 92 km and has lost its solar panels. It disintegrates faster and faster as its components heat up to over 2,000° and its re-entry speed climbs to 28,000 km/h.
06.58, and Mir is about 15 km above the Earth’s surface.
Mir breaks up over the Pacific Ocean.
By 06.59, Mir has totally disappeared. The message “OK Mir, 22.02.1986, 23.03.2001” appears on the screens at TsUP.
