Thirty years ago on February 20, 1986, Mir, the world's first modular space station, came into being.
The Russian space station Mir orbits Earth after the US space shuttle Endeavour moves away after completing five days of joint operations.
US space shuttle Atlantis crew members Scott Parazynski (L), of the US, and Vladimir Titov (R), of Russia, move a solar array cap to secure it on the side of the Russian space station Mir's docking module.
Russian space station Mir commander Vasili Tsibliev (L) welcomes US space shuttle Atlantis crew member Russian Elen Kondakova (C) aboard as US shuttle commander Charles Precourt (R) provides introductions.
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© Sputnik / Alexander Mokletsov
The components of the Russian orbital space station Mir being assembled at the Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center.
Soviet cosmonaut Leonid Kizim, a member of the first crew aboard space station Mir, working on a spacewalk. March 1986.
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© Sputnik / Alexander Mokletsov
The Russian orbital space station Mir at the launch pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome.
Russian cosmonauts Leonid Kizim (L) and Vladimir Solovyev (R) inside the Soyuz T-15 spaceship, launching from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, on their way to become the first crew aboard the Mir space station. March 13, 1986.
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© Photo : NASA
A NASA shuttle docks with Mir orbital space station.
Russian space station Mir crewmember Michael Foale (L), of the US, reviews a procedure with his predecessor Jerry Linenger, of the US, in the SpaceHab aboard the US space shuttle Atlantis.
The view of Russian space station Mir's Spektr module (L) from the US Space Shuttle Atlantis during the STS-79 Shuttle/Mir docking mission. September 19, 1996.
An official from the National Space Program Office, points to a screen showing the tragectory of the Russian Mir space station as it plunges into the Pacific Ocean. 23 March 2001.
