The Kristall (russian: Кристалл, , Crystal) (77KST, TsM-T, 11F77T) module was the fourth module and the third major addition to ''
Mir
''Mir'' (russian: Мир, ; ) was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia. ''Mir'' was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to&n ...
''. As with previous modules, its configuration was based on the 77K (TKS) module, and was originally named "Kvant 3". It was launched on May 31, 1990 on
Proton-K
The Proton-K, also designated Proton 8K82K after its GRAU index or SL-12 after its model number, 8K82K, was a Russian, previously Soviet, carrier rocket derived from the earlier Proton. It was built by Khrunichev, and launched from sites 81 an ...
. It docked to Mir autonomously on June 10, 1990.
Description
Kristall had several materials processing furnaces. They were called Krater 5, Optizon 1, Zona 2, and Zona 3. It also had a biotechnology experiment called the Aniur electrophoresis unit. These experiments were capable of generating 100 kg of raw materials for use on Earth. Located in the docking node was the Priroda 5 camera which was used for Earth resources experiments. Kristall also had several astronomy and astrophysics experiments which were designed to augment experiments that were already located in Kvant-1. Kristall's solar panels were also different from others on Mir. They were designed to be "collapsible" which means that they could be deployed and retracted several times. One of Kristall's solar panels was removed and re-deployed on Kvant-1 in 1995. That solar panel was later disposed of in November, 1997. Kristall also carried six
gyrodines for attitude control and to augment those already on the station. The control system of Kristall was developed by the
JSC "Khartron"Krivonosov, Khartron: Computers for rocket guidance systems
/ref> (Kharkiv
Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.[Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...]
).
List of experiments:
* Ainur electrophoresis unit
* Krater 5, Optizon 1, and CSK-1/Kristallizator semiconductor materials processing furnaces
* Zona 2/3 materials processing furnaces
* Buket gamma-ray spectrometer
A gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS) is an instrument for measuring the distribution (or spectrum—see figure) of the intensity of gamma radiation versus the energy of each photon.
The study and analysis of gamma-ray spectra for scientific and techni ...
* Glazar 2 UV telescope - cosmic radiation studies
* Granar astrophysics spectrometer
* Marina gamma ray telescope
* Mariya magnetic spectrometer
* Priroda 5 Earth resources camera system - consists of 2 KFA-1000 film cameras
* Svet plant cultivation unit
Relation to Buran and Space Shuttle programs
The most notable feature of Kristall was its relation to the Soviet Buran program. Kristall carried two APAS-89
The terms Androgynous Peripheral Attach System (APAS), Androgynous Peripheral Assembly System (APAS) and Androgynous Peripheral Docking System (APDS), are used interchangeably to describe a family of spacecraft docking mechanisms, and are also som ...
designed to be compatible with the Buran shuttle. One unit was located axially and the other was located radially. After the cancellation of the Buran program in 1993, the lateral docking port found use for the Shuttle-Mir Program. The radial port was never used. The axial port was tested by the modified Soyuz TM-16
Soyuz TM-16 was the sixteenth expedition to the Russian Space Station Mir.The mission report is available here:http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/soyuz-tm16.htm
The Soyuz-TM crew transports (T - транспортный - Transportnyi - me ...
spacecraft in 1993 in preparation for Shuttle dockings. On May 26, 1995, Kristall was moved from the -Y port on the Mir base block to the -X port. It was then moved on May 30 to -Z port in preparation for the arrival of the Spektr
Spektr (russian: Спектр; en, Spectrum) (TKM-O, 77KSO, 11F77O) was the fifth module of the Mir Space Station. The module was designed for remote observation of Earth's environment containing atmospheric and surface research equipment. Sp ...
module. On June 10, Kristall was moved back to -X port to prepare for the upcoming Shuttle docking. The first Space Shuttle docking occurred in 1995 during STS-71 by the . On July 17, 1995, Kristall was moved one last time to its permanent position at the -Z port. For Buran dockings, the entire procedure of moving Kristall would have to be used.
On STS-74
STS-74 was the fourth mission of the US/Russian Shuttle-Mir Program, and the second docking of the Space Shuttle with '' Mir''. Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' lifted off from Kennedy Space Center launch pad 39A on 12 November 1995. The mission end ...
, the next Shuttle docking, Atlantis carried a docking module that was attached to Kristall. This allowed future Shuttle dockings to be carried out without the module rearrangement that had needed previously.
References
External links
Russian Space Web
*Gunter's Space Page - information o
{{Orbital launches in 1990
Mir
1990 in the Soviet Union
Buran program
Crewed space observatories
Spacecraft which reentered in 2001
Spacecraft launched in 1990