Docking With Mir :: essays research papers

Docking With MirLast year something amazing took place, but it wasnt in a laboratory. Itwasnt under the ocean, and it wasnt on the land. It was in home. Thedocking of the United Statess Space shuttle Atlantis and the Russian SpaceStation Mir was an important step towards international cooperation in space.This is not the first time the U.S. has been in contact with Russia inspace matters. In 1965, an American Apollo capsule and a Russian Soyuz modulewere locked in orbital tango 245 miles above the earth, both crews tense withthe feeling of wild pansy and rivalry at the same time. In the past few years,American astronauts have used the Russian training facility at the Cosmodrome to situate for work on the Mir space station. We couldnt give up the hope of pacificationand freedom.Launch Day had arrived June 29, 1995. During launch and ascent, therewasnt much to think virtually except the thrill of the ride. Then the tension rose.In less than thirty-six hours, they would have to c lose a gap of four thousandmiles at an altitude of 245 miles while traveling at 17,500 miles per hour, furtherto have to force out within three inches and two degrees of a quickly moving, very flimsy object in space. One small thrust of a unwell aligned engine could costone of four space-worthy shuttles and the worlds first and only long-term spacestation.Docking was over with soon, and was followed by the cosmonauts of Mirgreeting the astronauts of Atlantis. Gifts of flowers, dulcify and fruit weregiven by the Americans, who in return, following a Russian tradition, receivedgifts of bread and salt. Knowing the importance of the mission, the Russians, aswell as the Americans, forced the good nature of the mission to be seen. Afteran modify in the crew of Mir, Atlantis disengaged the docking clamps, andreturned home.This mission was important to the future of the conquest of space, forthe American scientists need help with the design of the planned International