THE CONSTRUCTION of the Russian Mir 1 space station was completed on 26 April when the Priroda Earth-observation module was docked to the orbital space base after launch aboard a Proton SL-13 on 23 April.
The 19,700kg Priroda - originally scheduled to have been launched in 1990 - is equipped with an array of Earth-observation sensors. As it does not carry its own solar arrays, it relies on the Mir station for electrical power.
The core module of the Mir 1 was launched in February 1986 and now consists of the two Kvants and the Kristall, Spektr and Priroda modules, plus the Soyuz TM23 manned ferry. With the unmanned tanker, the Progress M31 - to be launched on 8 May - the space base will weigh about 200t.
During the docking of the Space Shuttle Atlantis on the fourth Shuttle Mir Mission (SMM) to be launched on 31 July, the joint space base will weigh a record 243t for an orbiting spacecraft.
The Priroda carries 35 science experiments to be operated by NASA astronaut Shannon Lucid, who joined the two-man Mir 1 crew during the SMM 3 mission in March. The module's launch has partially allayed some of NASA's fears that Russia cannot meet its commitments for building the international space station (Flight International, 24-30 April, P32).
Although Russia has pledged funding to complete the construction of two vital Russia modules, the Functional Energy Block and a Service Module to be launched in November 1997 and April 1998 respectively, NASA is still worried.
Its main concern is that the Russia may demand further assistance or changes.
Source: Flight International
