EMA Update on Re-entry of Russian Mir Space Station 8 Mar 2001

Emergency Management Australia (EMA)

Dickson, Australian Capital Territory

MEDIA ENQUIRIES

Brian Flanagan

EMA Media Liaison

Mobile: 0409 489 344

EMA POSITION PAPER

The Russian Mir Space Station is currently at an altitude of about 255km.
It is continuing in free flight and losing altitude at an average of
around 2km per day. While this rate of descent continues to vary, it will
tend to increase as Mir gets lower.

In order to increase the level of control over the re-entry process, the
Russian authorities have decided to allow Mir to drop to around 220km
before applying the braking impulses. The effect of this is that Mir is
now expected to ‘splashdown’ in the Pacific Ocean, some 5400km to the east
of Australia, between 17 and 23 March.

In addition, the Russian authorities have advised that all Foreign Embassies
accredited in Moscow will be invited to send an official representative to
be present at the Mission Control Centre during re-entry.