Will it fall to the MIR Pacific?

2000/10/31 Mendiburu, Joana - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Astronautika

This year the Russians have already delayed the elimination of MIR station between three and four times. Technical problems

The prestigious Russian MIR station will be launched in February to the Pacific. This was announced by Ilia Klebanov, first Russian vice-minister. The official decision now depends on President Vladimir Putin. It is not an easy decision, as MIR is a historical symbol of the time when Russia faced the United States. Russia has recognized the crisis and the impossibility of maintaining the space station since 1986, especially taking into account the costs added for the launch of the International Space Station.

Earlier this year, the first significant rumors of the destruction of the MIR were published. First, the date was set for February, but due to large projects it was decided to postpone until summer. Subsequently, if they did not seek funding, they indicated that MIR’s ‘life’ would end this month. Now, again, they decided not to dissolve until February.

The decision is especially linked to economics and politics, although there are also technical difficulties. Russian experts analyze different options. It seems that the best way to eliminate it is for a specially prepared spacecraft, Progress, to slow down the MIR. MIR is not prepared to withstand the friction that the atmosphere will produce upon falling. Consequently, when you encounter dense atmospheric layers distant 80 kilometers from the ground, most will burn. What is not undone, without danger, will fall into a place in the Pacific Ocean where no one lives.

If this is not done, they have also thought of throwing pieces individually after fragmentation, removing them with a missile or depositing them in place.

You cannot decide

Meanwhile, in order for MIR not to fall to the ground by surprise, Russia has had to launch a Progress spacecraft full of fuels. This launch, which has cost twenty million dollars, has recognized that it does not correspond to the commitments made by Russia for the International Space Station. In fact, Russia has promised Americans that MIR expenses will be financed with private funds to allocate public money to the International Space Station. It is evident that the future of the MIR, although it is in the hands of Putin, will have to take into account both the contrary and favorable opinions to dissolution.

NASA defends the elimination, boring of the dispersion of forces and money by the Russians to the detriment of the International Space Station.

Against this, the Russian nationalists and the MirCorp association in charge of reparations. The president of the association, Jeffrey Manber, has sent Putin a letter warning him that he only needs a few months to get money.

From the Russian Space Agency they have pointed out that until February if money was obtained to retain in the MIR space, the intention of rescinding would be delayed.