From mir to the international space station
As it turned out, the Russian space agency had no need for its $200 million insurance policy, for Mir’s deorbiting was a total success. Russia’s people felt a mixture of sadness and concern that a national symbol had passed into the annals of history, taking with it nearly 11 tonnes and $90 million worth of scientific equipment.
Mir in 1996. Crédits : NASA
But the management of incidents aboard Mir and its controlled re-entry did much to improve the ability of humans to work in space.
L'ISS in 2003. Crédits : NASA
The end of Mir and the start of the ISS marked a turning point in the space age. “We are embarking on another adventure—no longer that of the Americans or Russians, but simply that of humankind.”*
* Jacques Villain, Mir, le voyage extraordinaire
* Jacques Villain, Mir, le voyage extraordinaire
