After the end of the Apollo missions, the last stage of a rocket will be converted into a space station.

In 1973, Skylab is sent in orbit but several technical problems damage the protective coating of the station and an increase of the temperature risks to make it unusable.
The first crew to get there will make the necessary repairs.
The station will be occupied for 171 days by 3 different crews.
Skylab allows to do many scientific experiments and to observe the Earth  to better understand it. The astronauts also observe the Sun and many pictures and videos are made.
In 1979, Skylab naturally re-enters the atmosphere and in spite of the concern that this causes, the debris will fall in Australia without making victims.
The end of Skylab which has no replacement will allow the Soviet Union to take the supremacy in mature Space Stations.
From 1971 to 1986, the Soviet Union launched 7 Saliut space stations.
They were occupied during 5 years by 48 astronauts and 11 different nations.
But the Soviet’s do not want to stop there: they see bigger and more durable.

So in February 1986, the MIR Station is put in orbit.
The first crew stays there from March and takes care to bring back the material remaining on Saliut 7.
Progressively, elements are added to the MIR Station such as : the Kvant 1 module in 1987 to observe Earth and space and, the Kvant2 module in 1989 which includes an airlock for the spacewalks.
In 1990, the Soviets add the Krystal module to make research in biotechnology, material sciences and astronomy.
In 1995, will be added the Spekta module and in 1996, the Proroda module.
Thé MIR Station is a success, it can accommodate up to 6 people but most of the time the astronauts will be only 3.
The longest stay on board the MIR Station will be 1 year between 1987 and 1988.
Quickly foreign astronauts will be invited on board.
The MIR Station will be the center of a real space epic, legends will be born there, records will be broken…
On May 19, 1991, the cosmonaut Serguei Krikaliev joined the MIR Station, the political context is disturbed.
Boris Eltsin is elected president of the Russian Republic.
Gorbachev resigned from the leadership of the Communist Party.
In July 1991, Krikaliev agreed to stay on MIR 5 months longer than planned.
Finally Krikaliev will return on Earth in March 1992 after 319 days spent in space ( instead of 144 planned ).
He is Russian and no longer Soviet.
The legend will say that he was forgotten in space because of the political context of his country but Krikaliev will maintain that he could have returned at any time in case of danger.
On his return Krikaliev did not notice any major changes in his country.
In 1993, the Russians decided to send a  cosmonaut doctor to the MIR Station for a long stay ( about 1 year). The aim of this mission is to study the reactions of the human body and mind in view of manned missions to Mars.
Doctor Poliakov will stay 14 months in space.

The MIR Station has experienced a number of incidents during its operation, one of which was particularly serious.
On February 23, 1997, 6 astronauts are on board. The oxygen supply must be increased. For that, we must use a secondary generator based on chemical cartridges. But during its implementation, the generator takes fire. The astronauts try in vain to extinguish it and the order is given to prepare to evacuate.
Alas, the fire blocks the access to the Soyuz spacecraft. Fortunately, the fire will end up extinguishing itself. The astronauts will keep their breathing mask during 48 hours. Indeed, neither them or the control on the ground know if the atmosphere of the station contains toxic gases.

On June 25, 1997, a collision between the MIR Station and the Progress supply ship will condemn the Spektr module.

On March 23, 2001, the first Russian space station put in orbit in 1986 is voluntarily destroyed after 15 years of existence.

Mir Station