Page 38 - Curriculum Visions Dynamic Book

Soyuz spacecraft
Solar panels
Multiple docking ports
for experimental modules
(for example, the aStrophySicS lab—see page 41)
Control consol
 The core section of Mir.
38
Rendezvous antennae
Exercise area, kitchen, and toilet
Docking port for Progress supply spacecraft
Thrusters
It started out as a core module weighing 23 tonnes, 13 m long, 4.2 m wide, and based on the Salyut space station. Over the years it was added to so that the final Mir had five more modules in addition to its core section. This meant it could function in space as a permanently occupied laboratory.
Part of the success of Mir is its longevity. The core module was launched in 1986, and it is still in use. During this time
it became host not just to Soviet cosmonauts but also to U.S. astronauts who came and docked with it in the Space Shuttle.
How Mir was built
One of the key elements of Mir is its number of docking ports. First-generation space stations had only one docking port; Mir has six. So, while one is reserved for supply vessels, the others can be used to attach further modules.
Engines