All rights reserved. The information contained in this news report may not be published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of the Associated Press. The Soviet Union launches the core module of the Mir on Feb. 20, predicting the station will last three to five years. The first crew takes off for the station on March 13.
Crew members find refuse stuck on the docking port.
A Japanese cosmonaut reporter, Toyohiro Akiyama, visits the space station. A cargo ship loses control during its final approach to the station, nearly colliding with the Mir. The chaos and financial troubles accompanying the collapse of the Soviet Union force the Mir's crew to stay in orbit several months longer than scheduled. Norman Thagard becomes the first American astronaut to visit the Mir. A dramatic series of problems begin Feb. 23, when an oxygen-generating canister bursts into flames, nearly forcing crew to abandon the space station.