On June 25, 1997, a Russian Progress M-34 spacecraft collided with the Russian Mir space station.
The uncrewed cargo spacecraft was doing an experimental test of the docking system when it crashed into the space station’s Spektr module.
The collision ended up puncturing Spektr’s hull, causing a slow leak and damaging one of its solar panels. The crew had time to prevent depressurization of the Mir station by installing a hatch cover.
The Mir space station was an icon of human spaceflight. Its first module launched in 1986 and assembly continued through 1996. At the end of its mission life, Mir was intentionally deorbited over the Pacific Ocean in 2001.
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