A Chronology of mission events in orbit and on the ground. Mir existed for fifteen years growing from the original 20 tonne core module to a massive 130+ tonnes.
Date (UTC) |
Time (UTC) |
Event |
1993 Jan 24 |
05:58 |
Soyuz TM-16 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by Soyuz rocket into 190 x 218 kilometre orbit at 51.6 degrees inclination with cosmonauts Gennady Manakov and Alexandr Poleschuk aboard - it is fitted with ans APAS androgynous docking unit rather than the usual Soyuz probe-type unit |
1993 Jan 26 |
07:31 |
Soyuz TM-16 docks with the androgynous docking unit at the extreme end of the Kristall module - orbit is 391 x 394 kilometres |
1993 Feb 1 |
00:26 |
Soyuz TM-15 undocks from Mir with Solovyov and Avdeyev aboard |
1993 Feb 1 |
02:55 |
Approximate time - Soyuz TM-15 makes its retro-fire |
1993 Feb 1 |
03:49 |
Soyuz TM-15 lands |
1993 Feb 4 |
00:44 |
Progress M-15 undocks from Mir |
1993 Feb 7 |
06:43 |
After a retro-firing of its manoeuvring engine, Progress M-15 enters the upper atmosphere and burns up as a result of frictional heating |
1993 Feb 21 |
18:32 |
Progress M-16 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by Soyuz rocket into 187 x 205 kilometre orbit at 51.6 degrees inclination |
1993 Feb 23 |
20:17 |
Progress M-16 docks automatically with the docks with the rear port of Kvant - orbit is 388 x 392 kilometres |
1993 Mar 26 |
06:50 |
Progress M-16 undocks from Mir |
1993 Mar 26 |
07:06 |
After backing-off to a distance of 70m, Progress M-16 approaches and re-docks with the rear port of Kvant |
1993 Mar 26 |
10:25 |
Progress M-16 fires its manoeuvering engines prior to re-entry - about forty minute later, it enters the upper atmosphere and burns up as a result of frictional heating |
1993 Mar 27 |
04:21 |
Progress M-16 undocks from Mir |
1993 Mar 31 |
03:34 |
Progress M-17 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by Soyuz rocket into 186 x 216 kilometre orbit at 51.6 degrees inclination |
1993 Apr 2 |
05:16 |
Progress M-17 docks automatically with the rear port of Kvant - orbit is 393 x 395 kilometres |
1993 Apr 19 |
17:15 |
Manakov and Poleschuk start a space walk to work on installing a solar array mounting on Kvant |
1993 Apr 19 |
22:40 |
Manakov and Poleschuk finish their space walk after 5 hours 25 minutes |
1993 May 22 |
06:41 |
Progress M-18 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by Soyuz rocket into 185 x 227 kilometre orbit at 51.6 degrees inclination - in addition to the usual cargo, it is carrying a Raduga re-entry vehicle to be used to return experimental material from Mir |
1993 May 24 |
08:24 |
Progress M-18 docks automatically with Mir's forward-facing port - orbit is 374 x 377 kilometres |
1993 Jun 18 |
17:25 |
Manakov and Poleschuk start a space walk to finish installing a solar array mounting on Kvant |
1993 Jun 18 |
21:58 |
Manakov and Poleschuk finish their space walk after 4 hours 33 minutes |
1993 Jul 1 |
14:32 |
Soyuz TM-17 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by Soyuz rocket into 197 x 225 kilometre orbit at 51.6 degrees inclination with cosmonauts Vasily Tsibiliyev, Aleksandr Serebrov, and Jean-Pierre Haigneré (France) aboard - Haigneré is married to ESA astronaut Claudie Haigneré (formerly Claudie Deshays) |
1993 Jul 3 |
15:58 |
Soyuz TM-17 docks with Mir's forward-facing port - orbit is 388 x 395 kilometres |
1993 Jul 3 |
15:58 |
Progress M-18 undocks from Mir |
1993 Jul 4 |
--- |
Progress M-18 fires its retro-rocket to initiate re-entry |
1993 Jul 4 |
--- |
A Raduga re-entry capsule is ejected from the Progress M-18 forward hatch and continues on its own re-entry patch |
1993 Jul 4 |
17:13 |
Progress M-18's Raduga capsule lands in Russia for a safe recovery |
1993 Jul 4 |
--- |
Progress M-18 enters the upper atmosphere and burns up as a result of frictional heating |
1993 Jul 22 |
03:00 |
Soyuz TM-16 undocks from Mir with Manakov, Poleschuk and Jean-Pierre Haigneré aboard |
1993 Jul 22 |
05:46 |
Soyuz TM-16 makes its retro-fire |
1993 Jul 22 |
06:14 |
Soyuz TM-16 descent module separates |
1993 Jul 22 |
06:41 |
Soyuz TM-16 lands |
1993 Aug 10 |
22:23 |
Progress M-19 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by Soyuz rocket into 179 x 224 kilometre orbit at 51.6 degrees inclination |
1993 Aug 11 |
15:36 |
Progress M-17 undocks from Mir - it is low on propellant and has insufficient for pre-re-entry retrofire |
1993 Aug 13 |
00:00 |
Progress M-19 docks automatically with the rear port of Kvant - orbit is 387 x 393 kilometres |
1993 Sep 16 |
05:57 |
Tsibilyev and Serebrov start a space walk to unpack elements of the Rapana truss - a possible construction device for future space stations - the two cosmonauts are working space simultaneously with the STS-51 astronauts aboard Shuttle Discovery |
1993 Sep 16 |
10:15 |
Tsibilyev and Serebrov finish their space walk after 4 hours 18 minutes |
1993 Sep 28 |
00:52 |
Tsibilyev and Serebrov start a space walk to install and retrieve material samples to study the effects of space exposure, and to obtain film images of the exterior of Mir so that engineers can inspect the state of the panels |
1993 Sep 28 |
03:44 |
Tsibilyev and Serebrov finish their space walk after one hour 52 minutes - it has been cut short because of overheating of Tsibliyev's space suit |
1993 Oct 11 |
--- |
Progress M-20 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by Soyuz rocket into 188 x 226 kilometre orbit at 51.6 degrees inclination |
1993 Oct 12 |
17:59 |
Progress M-19 undocks from Mir |
1993 Oct 12 |
--- |
Progress M-19 fires its retro-rocket to initiate re-entry |
1993 Oct 12 |
--- |
A Raduga re-entry capsule is ejected from the Progress M-19 forward hatch and continues on its own re-entry patch |
1993 Oct 13 |
00:22 |
Progress M-19's Raduga capsule lands in Russia for a safe recovery |
1993 Oct 13 |
--- |
Progress M-19 enters the upper atmosphere and burns up as a result of frictional heating |
1993 Oct 13 |
23:24 |
Progress M-20 docks automatically with with the rear port of Kvant - orbit is 388 x 397 kilometres |
1993 Oct 22 |
15:47 |
Tsibilyev and Serebrov start a space walk to retrive samples from the outside of Mir |
1993 Oct 22 |
16:25 |
Tsibilyev and Serebrov finish their space walk after 38 minutes due to a malfunction in Serebrov's space suit |
1993 Oct 29 |
13:38 |
Tsibilyev and Serebrov start a space walk to continue filming Mir's external elements and to remove/replace some small components |
1993 Oct 29 |
17:50 |
Tsibilyev and Serebrov finish their space walk after 4 hours 12 minutes |
1993 Nov 21 |
02:38 |
Progress M-20 undocks from Mir |
1993 Nov 21 |
--- |
Progress M-20 fires its retro-rocket to initiate re-entry |
1993 Nov 21 |
--- |
A Raduga re-entry capsule is ejected from the Progress M-20 forward hatch and continues on its own re-entry patch |
1993 Nov 21 |
09:06 |
Progress M-20's Raduga capsule lands in Russia for a safe recovery |
1993 Nov 21 |
--- |
Progress M-20 enters the upper atmosphere and burns up as a result of frictional heating |
