Heralding what would become an exciting era in space exploration, on February 20, 1986 the Soviet Union announced the launch of its new space station called Mir.

A 20-ton core module with six docking ports for a transport craft, along with add-on modules became the first piece of the space colony, which would be constructed over the next decade and endure to set several records in space history.

As a sign of a new policy of political and social openness, or glastnost, proclaimed by the new leader of the U.S.S.R., Mikhail Gorbachev, Mir's launch was the first-ever Soviet launch shown on television (though it was not shown live). And when the first crew took off to the new station on March 13, 1986, it was Moscow's first piloted launch not involving foreign participation to be broadcast live.

The first Mir crew, including Leonid Kizim and Vladimir Soloviev, opened the station for business and then paid a visit to Mir's predecessor, Salyut 7. After activating Mir, the cosmonauts were ferried to Salyut 7 via a Soyuz spacecraft and spent almost two months there before returning to Mir.

On March 31, 1987, Mir's second component -- the Kvant 1 module -- arrives at the station, but not without a major glitch. The module started docking at Mir's rear port, however the two spacecraft could not complete the process. As a result, the hatches between Mir and the module could not be opened. In an unscheduled spacewalk, crewmembers Yuri Romanenko and Alexander Laveikin find a bag of trash stuck on Mir's docking port. Apparently, it was left behind by a Progress cargo ship previously docked to the port and used as a trash container at the end of its mission. The cosmonauts remove the trash and the docking is completed, putting the mission back on track.

Drawing on the experience from Salyut 7, Romanenko and Laveykin set up an additional solar array on Mir's core module.

Beginning in 1987 long-duration expeditions would meet and replace each other on board Mir, starting an almost continuous presence of humans in space. Mir's staff operations were interrupted only in 1989. A Soyuz spacecraft, damaged on the ground and unable to fly, kept a replacement crew from arriving at Mir in time to relieve a departing crew.

In December 1988, French astronaut Jean-Loup Chretien, on a month-long mission aboard Mir, conducts the first non-U.S./non-Russian spacewalk, deploying an experimental truss structure on the station's exterior. Two other foreign crews -- Syrian and Afghani -- visit Mir in this period.

On February 1, 1990, during a spacewalk, Alexander Serebrov dons an experimental flying armchair that had been delivered to Mir with Kvant 2. Unlike U.S. astronauts, who flew untethered flights with a similar device, the Soviet cosmonaut remains attached to the station with a safety tether, since there is no space shuttle to pick him up in case of an emergency. Serebrov flies up to 108 feet (33 meters) from the station. On February 5, Serebrov's colleague, Alexander Victorenko, flies even further -- 148 feet (45 meters).

On June 10, the Kristall module -- carrying materials-processing equipment -- successfully docks with Mir, again after some rendezvous glitches. On its exterior, Kristall carries deployable solar panels, which are to be eventually moved to the Kvant 1 module.

Cosmonauts on Mir's next long-duration expedition discover a protective thermal layer on the docked Soyuz spacecraft has come loose. Ground control, fearing the loss of the spacecraft's thermal protection necessary for the crew's fiery return trip through Earth's atmosphere, develop repair procedures that have to be performed outside -- something for which the cosmonauts are not trained. During a spacewalk on July 17, cosmonauts repair the thermal layer, but accidentally damage the hatch of the air lock. Unable to pressurize it, they use an adjacent compartment on Kvant 2 to reenter the station. During a second walk on July 25, the crew is able to fix the problem, albeit temporarily.

In the first major effort to commercialize Mir, a crew -- including Japanese cosmonaut-reporter Toyohiro Akiyama -- visits the station in December. Akiyama conducts live reports from Mir for a Tokyo-based television channel.

In January Mir's crew installs a 46-foot (14-meter) boom called Strela (Arrow) on the exterior of the station, which will later serve as a crane used for transferring cargo and astronauts around construction and repair areas on the outpost.

In March a robotic Progress cargo ship loses control during its final approach to the station, nearly colliding with Mir. Dockings have become so routine, the station crew does not bother to take shelter in their Soyuz spacecraft docked to the station, as is required by safety rules.

In May a crew that includes British researcher Helen Sharman, whose mission was sponsored by private industry, visits the complex.

During four spacewalks in July, the Mir crew erects a 20-segment boom on the exterior of the Kvant 1 module. The boom later is used to carry a propulsion unit used to improve the ability the now-gawky Mir complex to orient itself in space.

While Mir operations continue as usual, on Earth below, the Soviet Union collapses.

In October, Mir is visited by a new crew, which includes astronauts from Austria and from the newly independent republic of Kazakhstan. To allow both the seven-day mission of the Kazakh cosmonaut and the commercially sponsored, and also short visit of the Austrian astronaut, Russian cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev agrees to extend his tour of duty for a second term. Some of the U.S. media misreport that Krikalev is unable to return home due to the Soviet Union's collapse.

Astronaut-researchers from Germany and France visit Mir in March and August, respectively, performing an array of experiments.

In January, a French astronaut visits Mir. Ulf Merbold, a European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut and veteran of two space shuttle missions spends a month aboard.

In February, ESA astronaut Thomas Reiter returns from Mir after a 179-day mission.

In March, Space Shuttle Atlantis drops off NASA-astronaut Shannon Lucid for a 179-day mission on Mir. Her stay sets a U.S. record for long-duration spaceflight.

On April 26 the Priroda module, carrying primarily remote-sensing equipment, docks with the complex, finally completing the assembly of the space station.

The U.S. astronaut John Blaha completes a 118-day mission on Mir, which started in 1996.

The U.S. astronaut Jerry Linenger spends 122 days on Mir.

During a test of the system that allows the Mir crew to control the docking of the Progress craft, the 7-ton cargo ship veers off course and strikes the station several times. The Spektr module is punctured and starts losing pressure. The crew inside, including American astronaut Michael Foale, manages to sever the cables leading to the module and seal it off before pressure inside the station falls dangerously low. On the ground, U.S. newspaper editorials and several members of Congress unleash an anti-Mir campaign calling for an end of the nation's financial involvement in the project.

U.S. Astronaut David Wolf completes a 119-day mission on Mir. In June, the shuttle visits the station -- completing the Shuttle-Mir program and picks up U.S. astronaut Andy Thomas, who logs 130 days in orbit.

In August, the former assistant to President Boris Yeltsin, Yuri Baturin, visits Mir.

Slovakian and French cosmonauts visit Mir.

Mir is abandoned by two cosmonauts and a French astronaut on August 28 during the 27^th human expedition due to a lack of government funding to continue its piloted operations. RKK Energia considers deorbiting the station at the beginning of 2000, at the same time vowing to continue efforts to raise private funds to save it.

U.S. entrepreneur Walt Anderson makes a commitment to put up $20 million to start MirCorp, a private company to finance continued human missions to the station. Cosmonauts start training for a 45-day mission to fix an air leak on Mir and conduct science experiments.