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When all else fails, Soyuz offers quick escape
(CNN) - If something goes terribly wrong on Mir, the crew's salvation could come in the form of a cramped capsule that's just 9 feet wide and 23 feet long (2.7 meters by 7 meters).
It is called Soyuz, which is the Russian word for "union" (as in Soviet Union, or Sovietsky Soyuz).
A Russian workhorse
Soyuz craft have been ferrying Russian cosmonauts to and from space for 30 years, with a mixed record of success.In 1967, Soyuz 1 crashed on reentry, killing veteran cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov. Three more Russians died aboard Soyuz 11 in 1971 when their vehicle lost pressure on reentry. They were returning from a visit to Salyut 1, the first manned space station. Soyuz was redesigned after the Soyuz 11 disaster.
Current Crew Profiles For nearly a dozen years now, cosmonauts have used Soyuz ships to go back and forth from Mir. One is kept attached to the space station at all times in case a quick return trip to Earth is required.
Though parts of Mir are nearly 12 years old, Soyuz craft are replaced about every six months when crews are changed. As they are not reused, these lifeboats, then, are among the newest pieces of equipment on the otherwise-aging space station.
Tight quarters
While Mir can house up to six people for short periods of time, a Soyuz capsule is only big enough to carry three back home. So when more than three crew members are on board, there are two separate Soyuz craft attached. (Those extra large crews happen as one crew comes up to Mir to replace another that's about to go home.)
"It's very difficult to get in," says American astronaut Jerry Linenger, a Mir veteran. He knows of what he speaks -- during his stint on the station, the crew had to prepare to abandon ship twice.
No turning back
The decision to send Mir's crew home would be a difficult one for Russian space officals. Evacuating all members of the crew would effectively mean that the Russians could not return to the craft. A constant crew presence is required on Mir, partly because no ship can dock with Mir unless someone is on board to coordinate the docking.
If Mir's crew were forced to leave the space station aboard Soyuz, it would take less than a day to return to Earth, which is only about 390 kilometers (240 miles) below.
Crew members would first get fully suited-up and crawl through a hatch into Soyuz's descent module. After pushing off from Mir, Soyuz would shed its instrument and orbital modules, which would then fall off into the void of space.
The descent module would then shoot through the atmosphere and parachute onto the land surface of Earth. On board would be enough food and gear to allow crew members to survive until they can be retrieved.
Plan B
The Soyuz escape plan is not infallible, as the Mir crew were reminded when fire broke out on the space station in February, blocking passage to Soyuz. But fortunately, Soyuz is also not the only way home for the astronauts and cosmonauts who may have to leave Mir. If the crew were not in immediate danger, and space officials had time to plan a mission, they could send a U.S. space shuttle to the rescue.
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