Mir finally reaches the end of the road

Published: 6/2/1999

Russian space officials confirmed June 1st that the long expected shutdown of the Mir space station will occur in August with the current crew leaving the 130 ton station unmanned to burn up on re-entry in about a year. The final chapter in the station's chequered 13 year history was sealed when it became obvious that the private finance to keep the station going beyond August would not be forthcoming and the state was unable and unwilling to release additional funds. In the last few weeks the frantic efforts to raise money have reached the status of high farce, with Peter Llewellyn a British businessman with a rather shady past, appearing as a white knight with $100 million of funding. It appears however,that Mr Llewellyn was both a little short on the financing and a little too rotund, making it impossible to fit in the vehicle to take him to the station. A rather common problem with high profile visitors to the station. Last year, presidential advisor Vadim Baturin's mission was postponed 'several times' while the aspirant cosmonaut shed some kilos. The station could still be saved according to the Space Agency spokesman Vyacheslav Mikhailchenko, by a further injection of $250 million, but it seems that this is extremely unlikely and that the current crew of two Russians and one Frenchman will be the last. The end of the station will please the partners in the International Space Station program who have long argued that Mir was a distraction for the Russians when they should be focussing on their elements of the station which are currently running well behind schedule.Concise suspects however, the strong cash basis of the Mir enterprise probably provided some much needed liquidity to those involved and its loss may make it more difficult for Russia's cash strapped space agency.

Article ID: 556