Yeet to Mir, Quantum Leap S01E02 “Atlantis”

The Space Shuttle Atlantis docked with Russia’s Mir Space Station, photographed by the Mir-19 crew on July 4, 1995. (NASA)

Approach view of the Mir Space Station viewed from Space Shuttle Endeavour during the STS-89 rendezvous. A Progress cargo ship is attached on the left, a Soyuz manned spacecraft attached on the right. Image ID: STS089-340-035

Russia’s Mir space station, photographed from the departing Shuttle Atlantis on this day in 1996.

Soviet Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev stuck in space during the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991

Unable to return home, he ended up having to stay in space until further notice.

The cosmonaut eventually returned back to earth on March 25, 1992, after 10 months in orbit - to a nation that was very different to what it was when he had left. The Soviet Union had fractured into 15 nations, presidents had changed, and even his hometown of Leningrad had become St. Petersburg.

Interestingly, at the time, Krikalev was supposed to serve in the military reserves, and was almost issued a warrant for desertion – before the army realised that their reserve soldier was not even on the planet.

Russia’s Mir space station and the moon share a 70mm frame exposed by one of the STS-91 crew members aboard the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Discovery as it passed over a line of heavy thunderstorms on Earth. Credit: NASA

Russia’s Mir Space Station orbits the Earth on September 24, 1996.

(NASA)

Painting by Andrei Sokolov ‘Mir in Orbit 1992’ from the book In The Steam of the Stars- The Soviet-American Space Art Book (1990)