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- ,. All riw- This multimedia history details the first major Russian-American partnership after the fall of the Soviet Union, combining the American 'Space Shuttle's ready access to space with Russia's long-term address in orbit—their space station Mir. The book presents the human side of the Shuttle-Mir story, beginning by setting the historical stage. It then alternates between efforts of the team members on the ground, the missions of the American Space Shuttles to and near Mir, and the tales of the seven American astronauts with their Rus.rewnr endured The searchable :..jiI-ruru1cr explores the Shuttle-Mir Program with more texts, photos, videos biographies, letters home from Mir astronauts, and oral historir that explain the day-to-day challenges • faced by th -worng on Earth and in orbit. COVER PH( Composite of Shuttle-Mir images from the NASA archives. BACK PHOTO: Group photo of Smu'p 1\41 a - - r'riL.E ... M11144P,iiiiiiiiiiiii,,i,,IIIATTJI The United States and Russia Share History's Highest Stage By Clay Morgan the NASA History Series NASA SP-2001-4225 National Aeronautics and Space Administration - q Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Houston, Texas 77058 How to Use This Book This book is an example of what may become the norm for history textsan illustrated narrative accompanied by a CD-ROM. The text tells the story from the human side. It is based on reflections and quotes from the astronauts, cosmonauts, and team members who participated in the historic partnership. The main chapters give the perspectives of the seven U.S. astronauts living on Mir. The "STS boxes" share the Space Shuttle crews' experiences from the II Shuttle-Mir missions. The "Meanwhile on Earth" sections provide details of what was happening on Earth while the attention of the Program focused on the situations in space. The text reflects conventional usage; that is, temperature is given in degrees Fahrenheit, and metrics are used as appropriate. While this publication provides an accurate overview of the Shuttle-Mir Program, the reader is encouraged to explore the companion CD-ROM. It contains a complete, searchable text of the hook itself plus source publications, mission data, status reports, drawings and illustrations, videos and hun- dreds of images, and even a virtual Shuttle-Mir children's hook. Of particular interest are the Shuttle- Mir oral history transcripts and the letters written by American astronauts while they were in residence on the Russian space station. Many of the quotes in Shuttle-Mir: The U.S. and Russia Share History J-Jihest Stage came from sources located on the CD-ROM. 'I'he reader is invited to explore the Shuttle-Mir story through the words, images, and insights of those who took part in it. Library of Congress Cataloguing-in-Publication Data Morgan, Clay 1950- Shuttle-Mir = [Mir-shattl] the U.S. and Russia share history's highest stage I by Clay Morgan. P. cm. - (NASA SP 4225) (The NASA history series) In English. Parallel title romanized. Includes bibliolographical references and index. 1. Astronautics— United States—International cooperation. 2. Astronautics—Russia— International cooperation. 3. Space shuttles. 4. Mir (Space station) I. Title: Mir-shatd. II. Title. III. Series. IV. Series: The NASA history series TI.788.4.M67 2001 629.44—dc2 I IIIIL.1II11 Foreword hase I - Shuttle-Mir is an amazing story, the Soviet and Russian space programs. On the tantly, they solved, successfully and safely, every superbly presented here in text, image U.S. side, although some Shuttle-Mir veterans problem they faced together. Learning to solve pand sound, by Clay Morgan, Rebecca are now working other details of the current ISS problems jointly is the skill we must not lose, Wright, Sandra Johnson, and Paula Vargas, and Program, these people are only a few amongst or we will have to start over. by the many people who lived the story itself. the dozens of U.S. team members who were not Shuttle-Mir was a unique challenge at a It was an honor to play a small part in helping here for Phase 1, or who were so immersed in unique time in history. It may not be fully make that story real. the separate Space Shuttle and Station Programs appreciated for quite a while, possibly not until One of the many parts of this story that that Phase I is now barely a memory. To some after we finish the highest risk portions of the continues to amaze me is the perseverance and of them, Shuttle-Mir may be barely a factor in ISS and we have time to reflect on what made undying dedication of those who actually made the necessary change from short-duration "Space this all possible, and perhaps not until after we it happen, especially despite the adversities that Shuttle thinking" to long-duration "Space have sorted out some of the relational growing arose, seemingly at every turn. These came from Station thinking." It may bring sadness to some, pains we still see in the new operational relation- internal critics and external doubters, and from but this much is true: We will never do things ship. The most important message in the story the technical challenges, including fire, depres- the "old way" again. presented here, however, is the story of the peo- surization, and even floods of condensing Of course, the current ISS team members ple, from the highly visible ones to the ones hid- liquids inside the station. The dedicated team will write their own story. They will also achieve den behind their stacks of documents and boxes members included the U.S. and Russian space great things as they overcome many of the same of experiment hardware. It is a story of cultural crews who lived and trained far from home; the adversities that faced Phase 1. Meanwhile, they and linguistic misunderstandings as well as tech- U.S. and Russian Flight Surgeons who learned will build an incredible piece of hardware in nical "mind-melds" and operational tugs-of-war. every nuance of each other's flight program and space, using pieces from all over the globe. Phase I - Shuttle-Mir succeeded for three medical system, and who gained fluency in each But there will never be the same ground- reasons. First, it succeeded because we had the Other's language in a few months; the engineers breaking, the same pathfinding, the same cul- unwavering support and guidance of key leaders and specialists who lived and worked away from tural breakthroughs that we saw in Phase I. such as George Abbey, Dan Goldin, and Yuri friends and families for months, and who made It had its high points and low points, its high Koptev despite the most intense political pres- sense of totally new situations and systems; and drama and political circus, but on the whole it sure from outside the two space agencies. the payload experts who worked tirelessly in try- must be seen as a success achieved by humans Second, it succeeded because we had the initial ing physical conditions, and who integrated the of diverse technical and cultural backgrounds, program structure, set up by Tommy Ilolloway, U.S. hardware into Russian space modules and performing on a very public stage. Valery Ryumin, Jim Nise, and others, which still maintained safety. These are the same caliber With the world and the politicians con- worked superbly. And finally, it succeeded of people who put Gagarin into space, who put stantly looking over their shoulders, men and because the Russians and Americans always men on the Moon, who kept the Mir flying women worked through their problems face-to- found a way to meet each other, sometimes beyond its predicted service life, and who face, building trust in each other and in each halfway, sometimes on totally different paths, brought the Shuttle to a level of capability, relia- other's goals. This was often done at very per- but always striving to find that common place, bility, and predictability that as a total package sonal levels and with high stakes, both physical always trying to learn and to teach at the surpasses any launch vehicle in the world. These and emotional, to achieve exactly what the par- same time. are people I would trust with my life, and indeed ticipants set out to do and more: to execute a We still have so much to learn and so much must I will do so in the very near future as I begin my joint program of scientific achievement and to teach each other, and we 110w include deployment onboard the International Space space exploration by partners who had been the rest of the world in our story. The story of Station (ISS) with my Russian crewmates. archenemies less than ten years before. During international space exploration only begins in An interesting irony of our continuing part- Phase 1, Russians worked side by side with U.S. low Earth orbit. It should end in the stars. nership with the Russians is that, on the Russian specialists at NASA facilities, and Americans side, the 155 team is virtually the same one that lived not only on the Mir space station but also By Frank 1.. Culbertson, Jr. executed Phase I, as it did many earlier phases of on a formerly secret military base. More impor- Phase I Program Manager Shuttle-Mir The U.S. and Russia Share History's Highest Stage •:.; r..: 1'f • Ak . f.;: . 41•i 'IjLSI • $1. .- • •. S S — LI AN .' Oro S.. • S •. .1 l t •• :4t .5 •. • . . . . .•%• S 1-L 's - fit , \ip • Contents I." 1 History's Highest Stage Two hundred and more miles above Earth's surface, at the top of a technological ladder humankind had climbed for millennia, the f '.; space station Mir set history's highest stage for the world's two most powerful nations. B STS-60:ACosmonaut Flies on the Shutt 1•• February 3- 11, 1994 Russian Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev helped - a .• begin the Shuttle-Mir experience with his Discovery. flight aboard - • ' . A . 14 STS-63: First Rendezvous IX February 3-11 1995 • ç During the near Mir mission, Discovery I approached within 35 feet of the Russian • •a .• space station. 0 ..• V. - - - •— ' L • • 16 NASA-I Norm Thagard: • - : • -• An End and a Beginning • March 14- July 7, 1995 • • The former Cold War jet pilot embodied the peaceful close of a belligerent century as a he launched into space with his two Russian crewmates. Cooperation in space entered • 4 I a new era. I, 32 STS-71: First Docking t •' June 27- July 7, 1995 ! , ft Atlantis made the First Shuttle-Mir docking to • and transported a crew of cosnionauts • I to begin their expedition on the Russian space station. ' p. 36 STS-74: A New Docking Module • ' • . • . . November 12-20, 1995 Atlantis delivered a Russian-built module for future Orbiter dockings along with water, supplies, and equipment to Mir. V 38 Training and L Getting its astronauts ready for Mir and ni iii I a long-duration program required NASA accommodate differences in cull ores, laltiac, pla ices, and lIne /olics. I I 62 1 U. S. Presence March 22-31, 1986 Atlantis delivered Shannon Lucid to Mir, and U.S. Astronauts Godwin and Clifford conducted the first spacewalk around the two ut ated spacecraft. 54 NASA-2 S F-i anna a L a c Enduring Dualities March 22 - September 26, 1896 She returned from space a hero and a teacher of patience, but Lucid went up to Mir more as a student. Her arrival initiated the 2k-year continuous American presence in space. GB STS-79: First American Handover September 16-26, 1996 -- Atlantis brought John Blaha to the station for the first American crew exchange and carried more than 4,000 pounds of supplies to Mir. 70 NASA-3 John Blaha: Pulling It Together September 16,1996- January 22, 1997 As the first astronaut to directly follow a previous U.S. Mir resident, Blaha went to work improving the "handover" process—making the transition from one astronaut to the iiext as efficient and painless as possible. 84 815-81: Pninging Pack the Harvest January 12-22, 1997 The crew aboard Atlantis retrieved the wheat planted by Lucid and Blaha while delivering Jerry Linenger for his residency. VI Vol 86 NASA-4 Jerry Linenger: Fire and Controversy January 12 -May 24, 1997 linenger flew to Mir to do world-class science, but scarcely had he begun when fate stepped in. An accidental fire changed the nature of his mission and the relationship hetweeii NASA and the Russian Space lrogi'ain. 102 STS-84: Delivery and Pick Lip May 15-24, 1997 Atlantis brought Mike Foale to replace Linenger and ferried 249 items to Mir, including essential oxygen-generating units needed to restore the stations iliveiltory after the fire. 104 NASA-5 Mike Foale: Collision and Recovery May 15-October 6, 1997 Launching through controversy, Foale settled in on Mir. Then, a collision, depressurization, and the loss of station control tested his skills and endangered the program. 118 STS-86: Loaded With Experience September 25-October 6, 1997 Atlantis crewmembers Parazynski and Titov conducted the first joint U.S.-Russian spacewalk during the Shuttle mission that replaced loale with David Wolf. 120 NASA-6 David Wolf: Recommitment to Mir September 25,1997- January31, 1998 Inding communications passes with, Be careful down there on the Earth. You're awfully close to the ground," Wolf felt he knew the situation on Mir and what he had to do to help the program and his crewmates. 136 STS-89: Last NASA Astronaut to N'lin January 22-31, 1998 l;ideavour, the first Orbiter after Atlantis to dock with Mir, arrived with Andy Thomas and delivered more than 8,00() pounds of equipnlent and supplies, then departed with Wolf. S - VII 154 STS-91: Ciosino Out ShLJttIe-N/F June 2-12, 1998 Discovery, the third Orbiter to dock with the Russian space station, returned with Thomas 4 and several long-term U.S. science experiments, ending the operational component of Phase I - of he International Space Station Program 157 i -- :)nldenIno Shuttle-Mir —I-he benefit of the space program is the unexpected. can guarantee you that as long as we continue pushing the boundaries, pushing the frontiers, - we will benefit and we'll be surprised by how we'll benefit." - Frank L. Culbertson, Jr., Shuttle-Mir - Program Manager jj:1HMi.i J1ItiIrpI1 I,I,I 163 Ni Space Station Constructed of different modules joined in orbit, Mir endured for 15 years. The space station was a - - symbol of Russia's human spaceflight program and the setting for adventure, diplomacy, and danger. - - 1 his chapter provides a detailed illustration of Mir, close-up views of its modules, and information on the crews that resided there during the Shuttle-Mir Program. 138 182 Appendixes NASA-7 Andy Thomas: A Smoothen SaiIin number of individuals and materials supplied the January 22 -June 12, 199B resources for this publication and are included in the Acknowledgments and Bibliographic Essay/Chapter The anchor leg of NASA's Mir relay was the Notes. Images featured in the publication are identi- smoothest of the seven, although it had its share fled in the Photo Credits listing. of difficulties and frustration. On Earth, NASA and the Russian Space Agency made ready 98 Timeline 1 to launch the International Space Station. 201 Index 152 Earth Observations: tvlone than roene beaut' During Shuttle-Mir, the astronauts photographed the Earth as it changed below them. They took 22,000 photographs. using 35mm and 70mm cameras to capture the Earth's natural phenomena and changes caused by people. LYilil