🚀 go-pugleaf

On the subject of MIR to Mars.

I was present at ISU '91 in Toulouse France.  The Soviets from NPO
ENERGIA gave a presentation on their version of a Mars mission and there
is no doubt that MIR was part of the plan.  The summer project at ISU
was an International Mars Mission and the Soviets (now Russians) were
interested in teaming up with anyone.

the technical means for using a MIR to get to Mars were being worked on
right up until the lastdays of the Soviet Empire.  I'm sure I still
have the pictures in my notes but I can remember them well.  The idea
was to attach two VERY BIG solar arrays to a MIR complex and use
electric propulsion.  The trip times were long, but that is why Russia
was concentrating on long duration MIR flights.  This also was the
force behind their advanced electric propulsion research.  My impression
was that they were planning an attempt to Mars for about 1997 or so.  
I was left with the(perhaps mistaken) impression that the Russians
were going to accept a lot of risk in order to pull off the trip.  I
know that there were some questions as to whether MIR would physically
deteriorate over the long mission timeline (due to humidity INSIDE the
vehicle, not outside fluences.)

P.S.  The ISU mission used artificial g through rotation of a truss
structure (not tethers).  We settled on .37 g (Mars) after a lot of
agruement with the Bio folks.  Anyone who is interested can get a copy
of the report from ISUU headquarters in Boston (its about 700 pages,
bound and costs $25-55, I can't remember how much.)

Grant Anderson
Sr. Design Engineer
Lockheed Space Station WP-04

P.P.S  I maybe wasn't clear enough.  MIR was conceived as a trial Mars
Mission vehicle, not a space station in the earth orbiting sense.  That
was the impression I received.