The European Space Agency has set up a Mir De-Orbit Monitoring Group to acquire, screen and distribute information to ESA member states during the preparation, deorbit and reentry phases of a critical operation, the return of Russian space station Mir to Earth.

At Russia's request, the ESA will also support reentry activities by relaying data from the FGAN radar of the German Ministry of Defense through ESOC -- ESAs Control Center in Germany -- to the Russian Aviation and Space Agency (Rosaviacosmos) Mission Control Center near Moscow.

Astronauts from more than 10 countries, including several ESA astronauts, have visited Mir to carry out a wide range of scientific experiments. Mir is also the inspiration for the International Space Station, a joint endeavor by Russia, Japan, the United States, Canada and 10 ESA member states.

Now, however, Mir is beginning to show its age and the Russian authorities have decided to bring it back to Earth. Russian mission control specialists predict that on March 9 (plus or minus four days), Mir should be at an altitude of 155 miles (250 kilometers). At this point Rosaviacosmos will order a series of braking impulses to start the 130-ton, 108-foot by 101-foot (33-meter by 31-meter) Russian space station on its controlled reentry.