Russia has asked NASA for at least one further Shuttle-Mir mission to take place during the assembly of the International Space Station (ISS), as it continues its quest to keep the Mir space station in orbit for another two years, says NASA Watch.
Russia wants to use the Shuttle to retrieve the docking module and other equipment from the Mir, transferring it - and possibly more recent modules attached to the Mir, such as the Priroda - to the Space Station.
The move would require keeping the Mir in orbit for another two years while ISS-related experiments are conducted. Mir components may also be returned to earth to study the effects of long-term space exposure on materials.
Source: Flight International
