Yuri Semenov, the director of Russia's Energia corporation, says that up to 11t of unique research equipment should be transferred to the International Space Station from the Mir space station before it is de-orbited.
The Space Shuttle would be best suited to the task, he says, although Progress tankers could be used. A precedent was set in 1986 when equipment was transferred from the Salyut 7 space station to the Mir by a Soyuz crew.
Semenov expressed doubts that the Mir would be deorbited in June, because the ISS will not be ready to receive its first crew until January 2000. The first ISS launch of Russia's Zarya control module is scheduled for 20 November.
Source: Flight International
