Today a 15-year threshold of the MIR manned Orbital Station flight
has been crossed, that was initiated by the launch of its Core Module,
which start took place on February 20, 1986 at 0:28 Moscow time.
The Station being a unique space facility of the end of the XXth century
has become the world first International Research Laboratory and paved
the way to new ambitious space projects to be implemented by mankind
in the XXIth century beginning from the development of the International
Space Station, which has embodied to the full extent classic principles
of building such complex objects tested on the MIR Station, to future
manned flights to the Solar system planets.
Sophisticated and important activities have been accomplished by
S.P. Korolev RSC Energia staff arm-in-arm with the national and International
cooperation of companies and organizations. A thorny path of evolution
of the world cosmonautics has been treaded, when the mankind began an
ongoing space exploration. Space flights being no longer acts of heroism
paved the way to getting knowledge in many fields of science in the
course of virtually continuous activity of representatives of the terrestrial
civilization in near-earth orbit.
Thanks to our joint efforts and challenging work such a long-duration
MIR manned Orbital Station program unprecedented in the world cosmonautics
has been implemented.
And today by celebrating this significant date with our hearts distended
with evident pride and paying a tribute to selfless labor of all people
involved, owing to which it became possible to implement such an unprecedented
manned flight of the XXth century as the MIR Orbital Station flight
we extend our sincere appreciation and best thanks to the staff and
managers of all enterprises and express hope that the invaluable experience
and knowledge acquired will be further used in new space projects.
We offer congratulations to you and your staff on this significant event
and wish you all good health, happiness, new creative achievements and
victories, which to our belief will give glory to the Russian cosmonautics!
| General Designer |  |
Yu.P. Semenov |
