Mir, a Soviet third-generation space station improving on the early Salyuts, was launched into orbit by a Proton rocket February 20, 1986 and became permanently manned February 8, 1987.
Mir is made up of several highly sophisticated but leaden-looking modules joined by a series of common ports and powered by bouquets of solar arrays that sprout from its assorted segments. Although not very graceful looking, Mir works extremely well and is key in studying the effects of long-term weightlessness and isolation in space.
Mir is like a house trailer in orbit. It is built for a crew of two or three but could accommodate six comfortably. It contains a galley, recreational facilities, a large bathroom and shower, and private compartments for crew members. Cosmonauts can even adjust the temperature from 64 ┬░F to 82 ┬░F. The ship is equipped with cruise engines to allow maneuverability and 32 small thrusters for altitude control. Cosmonauts try to maintain Mir in an orbit 215 miles above the Earth
Mir functions as a research lab, docking port and visitor center for foreign cosmonauts, and in 1987, the Kvant astrophysics module was added expanding working space for doing studies in astronomy. The Kvant module was an international contribution; Soviet scientists worked with European Space Agency scientists from across the continent.
