Mir Program

The Mir Program developed, assembled, and operated the Soviet and later Russian modular space station as a long-duration orbital research facility. Approved in 1976, it built on Salyut and Almaz hardware and operational experience. The core module launched in 1986 with living quarters, life support, communications, and command systems; research modules, visiting Soyuz crews, and Progress resupply expanded the station's capabilities over time. International visiting research and the Shuttle-Mir partnership made Mir a practical bridge to International Space Station assembly and operations. The station's orbital lifetime ended with its controlled reentry in 2001.