Can Mir Space Station be repaired?

1997/11/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Patenteak/Asmakizunak

He went out into space in 1986 and since then looks at us 390 kilometers from Earth. The MIR space station is a project materialized by the Russian Space Ajencia that in the last three years is operating largely with the help of NASA.

The MIR, which was sent to replace Salut 7, will be replaced within four years by the new station called ALFA. It is an urgent need. It should be done before it is too late. In fact, in recent times almost every week we are receiving troubling news.

At this time only two of the 4 Solar Panels are in force, the central computer, which controls the gyroscope system that is responsible for its correct position with respect to the Sun, is totally deteriorated and it is almost impossible to perform all necessary repairs reliably. The support missions, which reach the PROGRESS spaces, have aggravated the problem in recent months, hitting June 25 for unresolved causes.

From time to time (every Monday in September) they had to turn off the central computer. Their position on the Sun is lost, disoriented and “blind.”

How long is the “life” of the MIR space station being
artificially extended?

The following graph shows the main matsures that have been produced to date.