Dec 27 2000
From The Space Library
Russian Space Agency Director General Yuri N. Koptev reiterated Russia's commitment to the international community, stating that Russia definitely would bring Mir safely down in February 2001. Koptev "angrily dismissed Communist demands to keep the nearly 15-year-old station in orbit," referring to the 20-hour loss of contact earlier in the week as a "final warning that time was up" and an indicator of the level of the station's wear and tear. Communist lawmakers, including cosmonaut Svetlana Y. Savitskaya, who called the move a concession to NASA, had criticized the government's decision to destroy the space station. However, Koptev had countered the criticism, saying that, if Mir spun out of control, the Russian president and government would have to explain to the world where the station would fall and how much damage it would cause.
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