Mir’s Trials, Tribulations

Fire was the first of many problems aboard Mir last year. A brief look at some of the more serious mishaps:

Feb. 23: Supplemental oxygen-generating canister bursts into flames, almost forces crew to abandon ship.

March 7: Second main oxygen generator malfunctions, forcing crew to rely on backup canisters like the one that burned.

April 4: Main carbon dioxide removal system malfunctions, forcing crew to use backup system. Antifreeze fumes continue to leak from coolant loops.

June 25: Cargo ship rams station during docking test, pierces a laboratory and bends solar panel. Lab is sealed off, although most of the power from its solar panels eventually is restored.

June 27: Computer crashes. Electrical problem, possibly power surge, is blamed. More computer breakdowns occur over next few months.

July 14: Commander Vasily Tsibliyev reports irregular heartbeat and, two days later, is banned from spacewalking repairs.

July 17: Cosmonaut Alexander Lazutkin accidentally disconnects power plug prematurely, setting station adrift and causing power loss.

Aug. 18: Main computer fails during cargo-ship docking, setting station adrift with sharply reduced power.