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 |
2001 Jan 1 |
18:00 |
Mir starts the year 2001 in an orbit of 299 x 320 kilometres at 51.6 degrees inclination |
2001 Jan 8 |
--- |
Ground controllers encounter problems in controlling Mir |
2001 Jan 18 |
01:15 |
Start of a routine 15-minute communications session with Mir which reveals that onboard electrical power has gone below permitted limits and the station girodines have shut down, temporarily affecting the station stability |
2001 Jan 24 |
04:28 |
Progress M1-5 cargo supply ship launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome by Soyuz-U rocket for rendezvous with Mir - its mission is to bring about a controlled re-entry and destruction of the space station |
2001 Jan 24 |
04:37 |
Progress M1-5 separates from its rocket and enters 190 x 231 kilometre orbit at 51.6 degrees inclination |
2001 Jan 24 |
10:30 |
Approximate time - Progress M1-5 raises its orbit to 194 x 250 kilometres |
2001 Jan 25 |
05:19 |
Progress M-43 separates from Kvant rear-facing docking port and moves away from the Mir complex into an orbit of 275 x 284 kilometres - it is ready to be re-docked if Progress M1-5 is unsuccessful |
2001 Jan 26 |
17:44 |
Space Shuttle Atlantis installed on Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center |
2001 Jan 27 |
05:33 |
Progress M1-5 docks automatically with the rear port of Kvant - orbit is 339 x 355 kilometres |
2001 Jan 27 |
--- |
Mir's managers decide after the successful docking by Progress M1-5 that the emergency crew will not be needed |
2001 Jan 29 |
02:58 |
After a retro-firing of its manoeuvring engine, Progress M-43 enters the upper atmosphere and burns up as a result of frictional heating |
2001 Mar 16 |
--- |
For a second time, Discovery manoeuvring engines are fired repeatedly over a period of one hour - this raises the ISS orbit to 377 x 390 kilometres |
2001 Mar 23 |
00:32 |
Mir orbit is 212 x 217 kilometres at 51.6 degrees inclination - Progress M1-5 fires its manoeuvring thrusters for 21 minutes to begin the de-orbit process |
2001 Mar 23 |
02:01 |
Mir orbit is 190 x 219 kilometres - Progress M1-5 fires its manoeuvring thrusters for a further 23 minutes |
2001 Mar 23 |
05:07 |
Mir orbit is 151 x 215 kilometres - Progress M1-5 fires its manoeuvring thrusters and its main thrust chamber for a further 23 minutes and ensure re-entry |
2001 Mar 23 |
05:43 |
Re-entry heating starts the burn-up of Mir |
2001 Mar 23 |
05:48 |
Mir is a little over 80 kilometres above the Earth and is sheathed in glowing plasma generated by frictional heating - passage of the individual modules, which have separated from each other, is observed from the ground in Fiji |
2001 Mar 23 |
05:50 |
Burning fragmentsof Mir are seen from Fiji |
2001 Mar 23 |
05:59 |
Any major surviving fragments of the Mir Complex hit the Pacific Ocean surface near 40 degrees South, 160 degrees West |
2001 Dec 17 |
17:56 |
Wheel stop - Endeavour mission is over and the ISS crew exchange between Expedition 3 and Expedition 4 has been completed |
