1991 - Sergei Krikalyov goes into space as a Soviet officer. By the time he lands, the Soviet Union has fallen apart. It is the first docking of international spacecraft since July 1975 when the U.S. Apollo and Soviet Soyuz crews joined hands in orbit. The multinational crew wears gas masks for a time. A Progress cargo craft hits Mir during docking, puncturing one of its modules and damaging solar batteries.
Energy supply falls dramatically.
A day is required to restore normal flight. The station suffered similar mishaps on Sept 8 and 14. The last U.S. astronaut leaves Mir, ending U.S.-Russian cooperation on the orbiting outpost. A Soyuz rocket carrying a two-man crew blasts off for Mir to adapt it for tasks ranging from industrial production and scientific experiments to space tourism and advertising in orbit, according to investors MirCorp. The Russian Soyuz spacecraft docks with Mir.