The first-base block of the Mir (Peace) 1 was launched on 19 February 1986. It is 13.1m long and weighs 20,400kg. Its twin solar arrays and a single array added later, that produce 9-11kW. The base is equipped with a docking port at its rear and a multiple docking pod on the front with five ports. It also has an airlock for space walks.
The Kvant 1 (Quantum), which was launched on 31 March 1987, is a smaller, 11,000kg, 5.8m-long base which increased the workspace aboard to 130m3 (4,600ft3). It has one docking port.
The Kvant 2 was launched on 26 November 1989, and was positioned on a lateral port on the front of the Mir base, using the Lyappa manipulator, which moved it from its original position. The 19,565kg module added 61.3m3, and its solar-array gave it an additional 7kW of power. The module is also equipped with an urine/water-regeneration system, a shower and an airlock for extra-vehicular activities - space walks.
The Kristal module, launched on 31 May 1990, carrying two androgynous peripheral docking systems, was equipped with four materials-processing furnaces. It weighs 19,640kg, is 13.7m long and adds 60.8m3 to the area. One of its twin solar arrays had to be moved on to the Kvant 1, to prepare for the STS71 Shuttle docking. The other was folded away. The Kristal was then to be moved to axial, X-axis of the Mir core module but, for later S/MM, it will be relocated to the Z-axis to receive the docking module (DM) on the STS74.
The Spektr (Spectrum) module was launched on 22 May and docked on 1 June. This adds four arrays to the Mir 1 and carries 755kg of US equipment, which was to have been used by the first US visitor, Norman Thagard, much earlier in his programme. The Spektr launch was delayed, in turn delaying the first Shuttle. Indeed, it was planned originally, to have been launched in 1990 to complete the assembly of a fully operational Mir 1 space station, as announced in 1986.
The Priroda (Nature) module, dedicated to Earth remote sensing and micro-gravity research and which will add 935kg of US equipment to the Mir, will be launched on 10 November. The assembly of the full Mir 1 space station will then have been completed, five years later than planned originally. NASA has paid Russia $400 million for the use of the Spektr and Priroda modules and for equipment transportation. Three Progress vehicles have carried about 270kg of US equipment to the Mir.
The Mir 1 will also be manned by cosmonauts launched aboard a series of Soyuz TM flights through the duration of the Shuttle Mir missions. Seven more Mir missions are planned to late 1997, involving the Soyuz TM22-27. The Shuttle missions may involve some cosmonaut deliveries or returns.
Source: Flight International