Page 36 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

 Mir docked with the orbiter Atlantic.
If a spAce stAtion is reasonably small, it is possible to launch it all at once and then have the various external parts, such as the solAr pAnels, open out when the station is in orbit. Salyut was like this. However, as space stations become larger and more complex, as with Skylab, that is no longer possible. The space station
has to be launched in pieces and fitted together in space, an altogether more complex operation involving long periods of extrAveHiculAr Activity (EVA), commonly called spacewalking.
The development of Mir
Mir is the Russian word for “peace.” Mir was the first of the modular space stations and the third generation of Soviet space stations (the first generation was called Salyut 1 to 5, the second generation was called Salyut 6 to 7).
extrAveHiculAr Activity Any task performed by people outside the protected environment of a space vehicle’s pressurized compartments. Extravehicular activities (EVA) include repairing equipment in the Space Shuttle bay.
module A section, or part, of a space vehicle.
solAr pAnels Large flat surfaces covered with thousands of small photoelectric devices that convert solar radiation into electricity.
spAce stAtion A large man-made satellite used as a base for operations in space.
 Orbiter Atlantis decoupled from Mir prior to its return journey. Notice how large the Shuttle is compared to Mir. Each of Mir’s moduleS could be fitted in the cargo bay of the Shuttle.
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