The Mir station is descending about 500 meters a day, sources at the mission control center in Korolyov have said. At present, the station is 293 kilometers away from the Earth.
The station will reach its critical orbit of 240-250 kilometers by the end of February, ballisticians say. Mir’s descent trajectory will be set in the first days of March. The Progress M1-5 engines, a cargo spaceship docked with the Mir, will slow the station down.
There are a number of different scenarios for Mir’s descent, and the final decision will be made by March, depending on atmospheric conditions influenced by solar activity. Experts forecast low solar activities in February and a rise in them at the end of February or early March.
The sources said that the final braking impulse, which had been planned for March 6, is likely to come on March 8-10.
Copyright 2001 Interfax. All rights reserved. The material on this page is provided by Interfax and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
