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---------------- - 1961 - Russian Space Station - MIR
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- So you want to be an astronaut? Are you smart enough? Are you physically buffed? Most important , are you brave enough?
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- 20 years ago the Russian Space Station, MIR, was orbiting the Earth. After this story that follows in 2001 the MIR was sent into lower elevation to burn up in the atmosphere and the cinder to splash into the Pacific Ocean.
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- To test your mettle for this assignment. Would you put your self into a Mercury capsule. It was the size of a phone booth. You sit on top of an exploding rocket that launches you into orbit to circle the Earth in zero gravity. Would you be brave enough? Trusting enough to put your faith in the engineers, designers, and visionaries back on mother Earth? Would you survive the splash landing?
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- Best read this story about life on the MIR before responding to these questions.
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- U.S. astronauts spent 6 months on the MIR. They tell of their strained relationship with the commander, Valeri Korzun, and his demanding leadership style.
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- Here is what our astronauts reported after their return in 1997. MIR space capsule was cramped and cluttered with equipment and cables spilling out everywhere. Corroded pipes leaked cooling antifreeze. There was debris in the air floating around. Sleeping was hindered by the junk floating around , including propylene glycol aerosol requiring the astronauts to where masks.
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- The oxygen system was taxed to its limits. Astronauts could not exercise for fear of using it up. Weeks went by with the temperature remaining at 90F because the climate control system was not working.
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- Humidity was excessive causing mold and bacteria to grow with abandon. When passengers returned on their bodies were 140 different species of microorganisms.
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- On February 23, 1997, an oxygen generating canister exploded, blasting a 3 foot geyser of flame. The astronauts used 3 out of the 10 fire extinguishers with no success. The intense flame blocked them from reaching the Soyuz escape craft. They also could not reach the stations computer. After 1 ½ minutes the fire burned itself out. The toxic, smoky air filled the cabin.
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- June 25, 1997, the crew was supposed to dock the Progress 234 cargo ship. They could not use the radar because that interfered with the other electronics that they needed. Instead they tried to dock the cargo ship with a blurry TV screen. They were judging the speed by the changing angular size on the monitor. When it became apparent the closing speed was too fast full braking was unable to avoid the collision. The cargo ship plowed into the solar arrays at 10 feet per second. The air pressure dropped. Air was hissing into the vacuum of space. Alarms were set off.
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- The crew heroically tried to seal off the science module but hoses and cables snaked through the door preventing it to seal. They used knives to sever the wires creating electrical sparks. The pressure dropped so low they almost abandoned the station. But, they didn’t because the hatch was hinged in the wrong direction.
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- The station began tumbling through space end over end. The solar panels no longer could point toward the Sun so the electrical power was waning.
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- Somehow the struggling astronauts survived and were able to right the ship after this treacherous event. They lived to tell about. You just read it. In 2001 they celebrated in their backyard BBQs as the MIR burned up in the atmosphere and the cinder that was their home landed in the Pacific Ocean. Amazing!!!!!!
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- Note (1): Request any of the Reviews by number to learn more.
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- #1679 - Space dust, what does it tell us?
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- #1263 - Can we replace the space shuttle with a kite on a string?
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- #1277 - Mishaps in space exploration. Several other mishaps not including the Russian ones.
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