Deorbit of Mir

The Russian space station <a href="/facts/Mir/pILadPoB">Mir</a> ended its mission on 23 March 2001, when it was brought out of its orbit, <a href="/facts/Atmospheric_entry/p7TMk9sa">entered the atmosphere</a> and was destroyed. Major components ranged from about 5 to 15 years in age, and included the <a href="/facts/Mir_Core_Module/x13no9bL">Mir Core Module</a>, <a href="/facts/Kvant-1/8tUyWchd">Kvant-1</a>, <a href="/facts/Kvant-2/U89nFuxh">Kvant-2</a>, <a href="/facts/Kristall/lAhnpMhr">Kristall</a>, <a href="/facts/Spektr/HcqNv2wG">Spektr</a>, <a href="/facts/Priroda/C92YJr7M">Priroda</a>, and <a href="/facts/Mir_Docking_Module/Q6jFv2Fe">Docking Module</a>. Although <a href="/facts/Russia/jfkCwyxn">Russia</a> was optimistic about Mir's future, the country's commitments to the <a href="/facts/International_Space_Station_programme/dBkcsXsr">International Space Station programme</a> left no funding to support Mir.
The deorbit was carried out in three stages. The first stage was waiting for atmospheric <a href="/facts/Drag_(physics)/vdl4jF7I">drag</a> to <a href="/facts/Orbital_decay/c9rj3aK6">decay the orbit</a> to an average of 220 kilometres (140 mi). This began with the docking of <a href="/facts/Progress_M1-5/nky5hdue">Progress M1-5</a>. The second stage was the transfer of the station into a 165-by-220-kilometre (103 mi × 137 mi) orbit. This was achieved with two burns of the Progress M1-5's control engines at 00:32 <a href="/facts/UTC/2EnjfSyu">UTC</a> and 02:01 UTC on 23 March 2001. After a two-orbit pause, the third and final stage of Mir's deorbit began with the firing of Progress M1-5's control engines and main engine at 05:08 UTC, lasting a little over 22 minutes. The atmospheric entry at the altitude of 100 kilometres (62 mi) occurred at 05:44 UTC near <a href="/facts/Nadi/8jf3Pqt6">Nadi</a>, <a href="/facts/Fiji/JU8Hs8WH">Fiji</a>.

Deorbit of Mir open-in-new

Deorbit of Mir