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NASA: Astronauts safe after Mir docking accident
2 Russians, 1 American on board
June 25, 1997
Web posted at: 10:40 a.m. EDT (1440 GMT)In this story:
CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (CNN) -- Two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut were unhurt after an unmanned cargo craft containing garbage collided with the Russian Mir space station during a docking test, causing a loss of air pressure in one of Mir's six modules, NASA and Russian space officials said Wednesday.
View colored diagram of Mir Space Station "It didn't land in the right place," said one Russian space official.
The crew consists of Russians Vasily Tsibliev and Alexander Lazutkin and Michael Foale of the United States. They hurriedly sealed off the module to prevent a further drop in pressure in the rest of the sprawling station.
NASA spokesman Rob Navias said there was no plan to abandon the 11-year-old Mir at this time. A Soyuz spacecraft, which is always docked to the station for such purposes, was reported to be in good shape.
Images from NASA:
MIR overview MIR graphic: Complex MIR graphic: Module Russian space officials told CNN that an emergency study group had been formed to assess the situation and to decide what steps to take next.
Spacewalk repair?
It was not immediately clear how the damaged module would be repaired. A spacewalk was one possibility.
Astronaut Story Musgrave speculates on the best ways to repair the damage: 
361K/30 sec. AIFF or WAV sound
(part one)291K/26 sec. AIFF or WAV sound
(part two)Transcript: Story Musgrave Discusses the Mir Space Station Collision
Although the rest of the Mir space station initially lost some pressure, the situation stabilized and was back to normal -- except for the sealed module named Spektr, Navias said.
A solar panel on the module also was damaged which could cause a drop in electrical power.
The Progress cargo craft, filled with garbage, moved toward the Mir and collided with the Spektr module at approximately 5:30 a.m. EDT (0930 GMT) during a test of the automated docking system, Navias said.
"(Progress) didn't land in the right place," said one Russian space official.
Six modules, only one damaged
Mir has six modules or compartments, some of them added gradually over the years. The Spektr Remote Sensing payload, which arrived at the Mir complex in 1995, is used to study particles in Low Earth Orbit.
Spektr carries four solar arrays as well as other scientific equipment.
The Progress, launched with crucial supplies and repair equipment in April, was supposed to redock Wednesday morning and then be jettisoned for good on Saturday, Navias said.
It eventually will burn up in the atmosphere, as is normal.
Foale joined the two Russian cosmonauts aboard Mir in mid-May. He replaced Jerry Linenger, who experienced a series of problems during his four-month visit, including a near-collision with a Progress and a fire.
Other problems that have plagued Mir include failed oxygen generators, a malfunctioning carbon dioxide-removal system and a leak of antifreeze in the cooling system.
This is not the first space collision for Mir. Navias said a supply ship had brushed against the Russian space station once before. There have been similar circumstances involving Soyuz spacecraft, he said.
Correspondent John Holliman, Moscow Bureau Chief Jill Dougherty and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
- Message Board: Mir collision
- CNN - In Depth - Space
- Transcript: Story Musgrave Discusses the Mir Space Station Collision - June 25, 1997
Related stories:
- Shuttle Atlantis makes repair call to Mir - May 16, 1997
- NASA: Russia will come through with key part of space station - May 15, 1997
- Atlantis to embark before dawn on mission to Mir - May 14, 1997
- NASA to put another U.S.astronaut aboard troubled Mir - May 2, 1997
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- NASA Shuttle-Mir Web - information about the Mirr Space station is provided by NASA
- NASA Shuttle-Mir Web: Spektr - section of the space station that was hit
- MIR Space Station - Radio Transmit Info - information about how to transmit and receive communications with MIR through amateur radio.
- ISS Phase I - Space Station Mir - contains graphics and specifications of the diferent areas of MIR
- Russian Space Agency - homepage of the Russian Space Agency through the NASA site
- Pictures and Movies - contains pictures of MIR and MIR missions as released by the Russian Space Agency.
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