"Mir," the elder of the ISS, becomes a storyteller of space development history in the northern land of Tomakomai

Earlier this month, the International Space Station (ISS) marked a quarter-century since astronauts began long-duration stays. Through the cooperation of 15 countries including the United States, Russia, and Japan, experiments and other activities continue with someone always present in space, an achievement that will go down in human history. We must not forget that the ISS had a predecessor—the space station "Mir," of the former Soviet Union, later Russia. In Tomakomai City, Hokkaido Prefecture, a valuable spacecraft believed to have been used for cosmonaut training is on display, serving as a storyteller of space development history. I (the author) visited this science museum, a place that space enthusiasts dream of seeing.

"Experience space development in living form"

The museum is a 15-minute walk from JR Tomakomai Station. After crossing the national route and walking a bit further, a sign reading "Mir Exhibition Hall" came into view. This is a separate building of the Tomakomai Science Museum, and even from outside, through the glass, I could see Mir adorned with the red Soviet flag. When I entered, a staff member warmly called out, "Please have a look. We can take commemorative photos for you." The fatigue from traveling from Tokyo vanished with this kind greeting.

Mir's massive body lay quietly, showing signs of age. I felt deeply moved, thinking, "So this is Mir." After stepping back to view it as a whole, I climbed the stairs installed for viewing and entered the interior. A workstation where meals could be eaten, the control room, cosmonauts' private quarters, the toilet... I imagined the cosmonauts floating gently as they lived there. Next, I walked around the spacecraft, carefully observing the various antennas, docking ports, attitude control engines, and other equipment. From the second floor of the exhibition hall, I could look down at the entire structure. While the hall is sometimes crowded with tour groups even on weekdays, at other times visitors can have it almost entirely to themselves.

Mir was a space station that operated from 1986 to 2001, orbiting at an altitude of about 400 kilometers. Through successive docking operations, it eventually consisted of six main modules. Of these, Tomakomai displays not only the 13-meter-long main body, the "Core Module," but also the 6-meter-long "Kvant" module, which was used for astronomical and astrophysical observations as well as attitude control.

"With science museums in various locations needing to differentiate themselves, this Mir is a unique exhibit unlike any other. I want children not only from Tomakomai but from all over Japan to see it," said Masashi Shimazaki (47), a curator at the Museum, with pride. He further explained, "People tend to think of it as a station from a generation ago, but in fact, the ISS's active module 'Zvezda' has almost the same structure as Mir's Core Module. In other words, here in Tomakomai, you can experience space development as it exists today in living form."

The Mir exhibited here has some modifications, such as a different position for the shower where cosmonauts washed themselves (which was rarely used in practice). Where the viewing stairs are now installed, there was originally one of the cosmonauts' private quarters and other facilities. Some equipment, such as precision instruments, may have been replaced with dummies by the Soviet side to prevent technology leaks to Western countries, including Japan and the United States.

"For the Children" — Donation from a Local Company

There is a special story behind how Mir came to Tomakomai. According to materials from the museum, Shimazaki, and Toyohisa Fujishima (73), a director of the Young Astronauts Club - Japan who has been deeply involved in utilizing Mir as a leader of a local group, there was a key figure behind it all. It was the passion of Hirofumi Iwakura (a former member of the House of Representatives who passed away last April), who worked at the locally headquartered construction company "Iwakura Construction" and later served five terms as Mayor of Tomakomai, that brought it here.

During the regional exposition boom of the late 1980s, this Mir was exhibited at the "World Design Exposition" held in Nagoya in 1989. The following year, Iwakura Construction purchased it from another domestic company. According to Fujishima, the exact purchase price was not disclosed, but it was said to be just under 1 billion yen.

At the time, Hokkaido had plans to establish an aerospace industry base in Tomakomai and other areas. Iwakura, an executive of the Junior Chamber International Japan who had connections with the Soviet Union through issues such as the Northern Territories dispute, apparently hoped Mir would serve as a symbol for regional education. After a period of exhibition and storage under Iwakura Construction's ownership, it was transported to site adjacent to the museum in 1998 and donated to the city "for the children who will bear the future of Tomakomai." Initially it was displayed outdoors, but to prevent deterioration from wind and snow, the city opened a dedicated exhibition hall the following year in 1999.

Fujishima, who was told by Iwakura, "I'm entrusting Mir to you," has worked hard for many years to make good use of it. He reflected: "When you look up at the night sky, you can see the stars, but we also need space that can be touched and experienced. Experiences in childhood last a lifetime. Through the activities of the Young Astronauts Club - Japan and other programs, Mir has played a major role in educating children."

First Japanese flight and stay, joint programs with the United States

During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union engaged in an intense space race. The United States won the race to land humans on the moon in 1969 with Apollo 11. Subsequently, the US and USSR took different approaches in the low Earth orbit region. The United States focused on developing the Space Shuttle, a reusable spacecraft capable of carrying both astronauts and cargo for various purposes. In contrast, the Soviet Union shifted toward deploying space stations to accumulate expertise in long-duration stays and space experiments. The United States also operated a station through its "Skylab missions."

According to materials from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other sources, the Soviet Union launched seven "Salyut" stations, including military ones, between 1971 and 1982. The successor program, Mir, was initially designed for multiple module docking. The Core Module was launched first in February 1986, with cosmonaut stays beginning the following month. Modules for observation and experiments were added, starting with Kvant the following year, and the station was completed in 1996. It had a total length of 33 meters (including docked spacecraft) and weighed 130 to 140 tons. The Russian word "Mir" is often translated as "peace," but it also has meanings such as "world," "universe," and "peasant commune." Kvant means "quantum."

While Salyut had a maximum of only two docking ports, Mir was equipped with six. This greatly improved operational capability and capacity for cosmonaut stays. Between 1994 and 1995, a long-duration stay record of 437 days was achieved. The disposable "Soyuz spacecraft" was used for transporting cosmonauts, while "Progress" was used for cargo resupply. Both spacecraft types continue to be improved and remain in active use on the ISS today.

In 1990, Toyohiro Akiyama (83), then a TBS journalist who had trained in the Soviet Union and become a cosmonaut, stayed aboard Mir, becoming the first Japanese person to fly in space. The Soviet Union collapsed the following year, but operations continued under the Russian Federation. From 1994 to 1998, through the US-Russia "Shuttle-Mir Program," astronauts and cosmonauts from both countries flew aboard each other's spacecraft, and US Space Shuttles docked with Mir. Americans stayed on Mir, laying the foundation for cooperation in the ISS program. Russia formally decided to participate in the ISS program in 1993.

However, trouble occurred frequently. In 1997, there was a fire, as well as an accident in which a Progress spacecraft collided with and damaged an Earth observation module. Failures of oxygen supply systems and attitude control systems, as well as main computer shutdowns, happened repeatedly, and concerns about dangers were raised. When American astronauts arrived, the interior was reportedly cluttered with used and broken equipment as well as garbage bags, without proper measures having been taken.

Due to the Russian government's financial difficulties, Mir's budget was also insufficient. Extending its life with private funding was explored for a time, but this did not prove successful, and the decision was made to decommission it. In March 2001, it was brought down into the South Pacific, ending 15 years of operation—far exceeding its designed lifespan of five years. Its role was passed on to the ISS, which began construction in 1998. Throughout Mir's lifetime, 125 astronauts and cosmonauts from 12 countries stayed aboard.

Is the Mir on display "a sophisticated training craft"?

While I felt that there is great significance in the Tomakomai exhibit, there was something that concerned me. The museum introduces this Mir as a "flight-ready backup," but I wondered if this was really true. The trigger occurred when my friend, a foreign journalist with extensive experience covering space development, told me that after viewing the exhibit, he recognized it as a mockup.

A "backup" refers to a spacecraft built as a spare which can be used in case a satellite or other spacecraft is lost due to launch failure or other reasons. According to documents, the exhibited item has apparently been considered a backup since the time it was donated to the city. The museum's exhibit explanation states: "Why does Tomakomai City have a backup of the Mir space station?" and "The Mir here was manufactured over 30 years ago and has been modified for exhibition, so it cannot be operated." Shimazaki understands that the Core Module is a partially modified flight-ready backup, while Kvant appears to be a replica.

On the other hand, I asked Fujishima, whom Shimazaki described as "probably the most knowledgeable person." His response was: "I heard from Mr. Iwakura that Mir's Core Module was for training, and Kvant is a replica. Neither could be taken into space." Furthermore, when they "took apart various parts" on the occasion of a major event in 2008, they found that even parts not visible from the outside — such as the structure of inner walls for weight reduction and piping inside the engines — had been meticulously constructed. This deepened the recognition that it was extremely sophisticated as a training unit.

There appears to be a discrepancy in understanding between the museum and Fujishima. Since this concerns fundamental facts about the exhibit, verification by the relevant parties is desirable.

Although I am a complete layman when it comes to technical matters, I frankly wondered, after observing the boundary between the interior and exterior, "Could walls of this kind maintain airtightness and protect cosmonauts in space for more than 10 years?" This reinforced my impression that it was not something that could be used in space. At the same time, I understood the term "mockup" is often used to mean "a full-scale model that only represents appearance," which is difficult to apply to this sophisticated exhibit.

A first-class historical resource that increases interest in space development

However, even if this exhibit is not a flight-ready backup, there is no doubt that it is a first-class historical resource that tells the history of space development. By being carefully preserved and exhibited in Tomakomai, how many people's interest in space has it heightened? It is also genuinely impressive, not mere flattery, that the museum has been supported by people's enthusiasm. During my reporting, a space industry professional told me, "Either way, does it really matter?"—and I agree in the sense that its value remains high. While this article does raise questions, I want to strongly emphasize that there is no intention to diminish the significance of the exhibit.

Professor Emeritus Yasunori Matogawa (83) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), who is expert on space development, also said he heard from Iwakura that Mir was used for training purposes. "It was probably built not as a backup for flight, but as a space where the key equipment and other elements were in place for training purposes. In Japan, the Tomakomai exhibit is probably the only place where people can see what Mir was like, making it extremely valuable," he said.

Finally, on a personal note, I owe Mir a debt of gratitude for broadening my horizons in the past. In 1989, on my way home from high school, I stopped by the "Yokohama Exotic Showcase," a regional exposition, and was shocked by the Soviet space exhibit. The unfamiliar Mir mockup was the star attraction. The explanation of the Space Shuttle was not about the American shuttle but the Soviet "Buran." The key figure in rocket development was not Goddard but "Glushko"... Until then, what I had learned from newspapers and books was mainly Western, US-centered space development information. I felt as if I had entered a parallel world.

The Yokohama exhibit shocked me with the realization that I had only been seeing half the world. I believe this influence has continued even after I became a reporter. Moved by my reunion with Mir after 36 years, I left Tomakomai.