Mir-2

Mir-2 was a space station

Space station

A space station is an artificial structure designed for humans to live in outer space. To date, only low earth orbital stations have been implemented, otherwise known as orbital stations...

 project begun in February 1976. Some of the modules built for Mir-2 have been incorporated into the International Space Station

International Space Station

The International Space Station is an internationally developed research facility currently being assembled in Low Earth Orbit. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998 and is scheduled to be completed by 2011, with operations continuing until at least 2015...

 (ISS).

Project history

The project underwent many changes, but was always based on the DOS-8 base block space station core module, built as a back-up to the DOS-7 base block

Mir Core Module

The Mir Core Module was the first component of the Mir space station. It was launched on February 20, 1986 on a Proton rocket from LC-200/39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome.- Specifications :* Length: 13.13 m* Diameter: 4.15 m...

 used in the Mir

Mir

Mir was a Soviet space station. Mir was the world's first consistently inhabited long-term research station in space, and the first of the third generation type of space station, constructed from 1986 to 1996 with a modular design...

station. The DOS-8 base block was eventually used as the Zvezda

Zvezda (ISS)

Zvezda , DOS-8, also known as the Zvezda Service Module, is a component of the International Space Station . It was the third module launched to the station, and provides some of the station's life support systems, as well as living quarters for two crew members...

module of the ISS. Its design lineage extends back to the original Salyut

Salyut

The Salyut program was the first space station program undertaken by the Soviet Union, which consisted of a series of nine single-module space stations launched over a period of eleven years from 1971 to 1982...

 stations.

The Mir-2 project evolution was:

1981 to 1987: KB Salyut Mir-2

The prototype of the central module was as Polyus. Mir-2 would be capable of docking at least four modules in ordinary operation.

14 December 1987: NPO Energia Mir-2

Designated as OSETS (Orbital Assembly and Operations Centre). The station would be built in a 65 degree orbit and consist of 90 tonne modules.

• Launch 1 - DOS 8,providing housing for the assembly crew.
• Launch 2 - 90 Tonne module.
• Launch 3 - Truss and solar arrays.
• Launches 4 to 6 - additional 90 tonne modules.

1991: "Mir-1.5"

This would involve launch of the DOS-8, after which the Buran shuttle would grapple the module, rendezvous with Mir, and attach it to the old DOS-7 base block. This plan was later altered so that
DOS-8 would maneuver and dock itself to Mir. It would remain attached for two years.

1992: "Mir-2"

The station would consist of the DOS-8 core module and a cross beam called the NEP (Science Power Platform

Science Power Platform

The Science Power Platform was a planned Russian element of the International Space Station that was intended to be delivered to the ISS by a Russian Proton rocket or Zenit rocket but was shifted to launch by Space Shuttle as part as a tradeoff agreement on other parts of the ISS...

). This was equipped with MSB retractable solar panels, Sfora thruster packages and small scientific packages.

Four 3 to 4 tonnes modules were planned:

• Docking Module - with the APDS universal androgynous docking system, and a side hatch for space walks
• Resource Module - Equipped with gyrodynes for orienting the station and a passive docking port for docking of Soyuz or Progress ferry spacecraft
• Technology Module - with materials experiments
• Biotechnology Module

November 1993: International Space Station built around Mir-2

Russian elements of the International Space Station

International Space Station

The International Space Station is an internationally developed research facility currently being assembled in Low Earth Orbit. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998 and is scheduled to be completed by 2011, with operations continuing until at least 2015...

 include:

• Zarya
  Zarya
  Zarya , also known as the Functional Cargo Block or FGB , was the first module of the International Space Station to be launched. The FGB provided electrical power, storage, propulsion, and guidance to the ISS during the initial stage of assembly...
  
   FGB, the first element launched. This was a US-funded TKS
  TKS spacecraft
  TKS spacecraft was designed by Vladimir Chelomei as a manned spacecraft launched with Proton rocket alternative to the Soyuz spacecraft to supply the military Almaz space station. Development began in 1965, but by the time the first flight articles were ready the Almaz programme had been abandoned...
  
  -derived propulsion module built by KB Salyut.
• Zvezda
  Zvezda (ISS)
  Zvezda , DOS-8, also known as the Zvezda Service Module, is a component of the International Space Station . It was the third module launched to the station, and provides some of the station's life support systems, as well as living quarters for two crew members...
  
   Service Module - this is the DOS-8 station, which was launched as the third major ISS module in July 2000.
• SO-1 (Pirs docking compartment) - one of the docking modules originally designed for Buran/Mir-2 was added to the station in September 2001.

External links

• Mir-2 on Astronautix