The altitude of the Russian space station Mir on Friday fell to about 156 miles (251 kilometers), a near-critical value, an official in the Mission Control Center in Korolyov, Moscow Region, told the Interfax news agency.
All spaceborne control systems are in order, the official said. When Mir's altitude falls to 155 miles (250 kilometers), the conditions of the station's systems, the atmospheric variables and Mission Control's preparedness to handle a 137-ton station must be tested. Mir's altitude falls by 5,900 to 6,560 feet (1,800 to 2,000 meters) daily.
On March 20, it will reach the 137-mile (220-kilometer) mark. At that time, the Russian tracking stations will monitor the switching on and off of the braking engines but not the actual fall and disintegration of the station. This will not, however, affect the safety of the descent because its path will follow that of Progress cargo vehicles, Soyuz manned spacecraft and earlier generation Salyut space stations.
Mir is now expected to crash in the south Pacific, some 1,850 miles (2,975 kilometers) east of New Zealand.
Two-thirds of the aging and accident prone space station should burn up in the controlled descent through Earth's atmosphere, traveling as fast as half-a-mile a second.
However, according to a Reuters report, the 16 island states of the South Pacific Forum are seeking assurances from Russia that Mir debris will not crash onto one of their palm-fringed nations. It is estimated that 1,500 fragments could rain down on Earth, some at speeds capable of smashing through reinforced concrete.
Most island homes in the south Pacific are made of timber, with a thatched roof.
"The planned final stages of the descent of the Russian space station to a zone in the south Pacific is raising serious concerns due to the uncertainties about when and where it will crash," Iosefa Maiava, acting secretary general of the South Pacific Forum said in a statement on Friday.
"We want to be fully informed about the timetable and pathway of descent, and we're seeking assurances that this activity...poses minimal threats to Pacific Island countries."
While Russia insists Mir will not fall on any populated areas, it has nevertheless taken out a $200 million insurance policy just in case.
The South Pacific Forum consists of 16 island states, including Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Fiji, the Cook Islands and Western Samoa.
They are scattered throughout the Pacific Ocean, although all but 2 million of the combined 29 million of the South Pacific Forum are in Australia, New Zealand and PNG.
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