MIR: already in 1998 it was decided to de-orbit MIR: every dollar spent on MIR is a dollar taken away from the ISS. The Russians initially agreed, but reluctantly. Various proposals arose to save it, until the last day. On March 23, 2001 it de-orbited: it entered the atmosphere above Japan, was torn to pieces, first the solar panels, then the protruding structures. The inhabitants of Fiji saw the sad spectacle of 8 flaming streaks in the sky, followed by sonic booms. MIR represents for the Russians what the Apollo Program represents for the Americans. On MIR, in over 13 years, 2/3 of the time in orbit of all astronauts were spent, 27 long stay expeditions, 69 unmanned dockings, 11762 total days spent on board, (87% with Russians, 8% Americans, 5% others), 3640 days of continuous occupation, 104 people (42 Russians, 44 Americans, 18 others), 9 shuttles docked, 742 days on MIR for Sergei Avdeev, Enormous amount of scientific and technological experiments. 149 space walks by 36 cosmonauts, for 691h (29 days), Anatoli Soloviev spent 74h 41′ of space walks. It was decommissioned 40 years after Yuri Gagarin’s flight (12 April 1961).
