1971    Launch of Salyut 1, the first space station.

1973    ''Skylab'', the United States' first space station, is launched.

1974    After 84 days in space, the crew of the first American space station Skylab returns to Earth.

1988    Abdul Ahad Mohmand, the first Afghan in space, returns aboard the Soviet spacecraft Soyuz TM-5 after 9 days on the Mir space station.

1994    Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov on Soyuz TM-18 leaves for Mir. He would stay on the space station until March 22, 1995, for a record 437 days in space.

1997    A small fire occurs in the Russian Space station, Mir.

1997    An unmanned Progress spacecraft collides with the Russian space station Mir.