Mir Space Station

Bernards, Neal. Mir Space Station. 2000. 32p. ISBN 1-58340-049-4. Available at 629.44 BER on the library shelves.

One of the most impressive accomplishment of the space age has been the building of the International Space Station. But the lessons learned in the first space stations were critical to ensure the success of the ISS. The Mir Space Station, built by the Soviets in 1986 and expanded upon by the Russians until 1997, was the first long-term space station built, until it crashed back to Earth in 2001.

Beginning with one module, the station grew until it could accommodate three crewmen and provide support for numerous scientific experiments. The station was also prone to a number of accidents and technical glitches, such as disabled showers, loss of power and climate control, internal fires, and was even rammed by a spaceship once.

This short book is a great introduction to humankind’s first permanent structure in space, and features gorgeous photos. Space explorers will enjoy reading about one of the most intriguing piece of spacial history.