In a spectacular show of light and sound, the Mir space station finally
plunged into the Pacific Ocean at 0558 GMT on 23 March. The final command to the
station at 0507 GMT sent Mir fragments blazing towards the target area. “It may
have been some seconds early, but it was within the safety zone,” said physicist
Pat Helm, an adviser to New Zealand’s Prime Minister Helen Clark. Many were sad
to see the end of Mir’s 15-year career
(51¶¯Âþ, 10 March, p 5).
“People talked about the troubled Mir, but it was nevertheless a useable
workhorse,” says…
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from 51¶¯Âþ
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending 51¶¯Âþ articles
1
Mathematicians stunned by AI's biggest breakthrough in mathematics yet
2
Photos reveal unexpected details from the world's first atomic test
3
The Selfish Gene at 50: Why Dawkins’s evolution classic still holds up
4
The distant world that is our best hope of finding alien life
5
How I used psychology to come back from the worst year of my life
6
Mystery of the ancient giant stone jars of Laos may have been solved
7
The 3 things you need to know about protein, according to an expert
8
The ‘doomsday’ glacier’s giant ice shelf is about to break away
9
Women’s body temperature rises from age 18 to 42 but we don’t know why
10
Epic dreaming is leaving people exhausted and distressed
