Mir (Russian for both Peace and World) was a Soviet (and later Russian) orbital station. It was the world's first consistently inhabited long-term space research station, and the first 'third-generation' type Space Station, constructed with a modular design.
Mir held the record for the longest continuous human presence in space at just eight days short of 10 years. Through collaborations like the Intercosmos program, it became internationally accessible to cosmonauts and astronauts of many countries. The most notable of these, the Shuttle-Mir Program, saw American Space Shuttles visiting the station eleven times, bringing supplies and providing crew rotation. Mir was assembled in orbit by successively connecting several modules, each launched separately from 1986 to 1996.
Mir's 15-year mission ended March 23, 2001, when it was deliberately de-orbited, breaking apart during atmospheric re-entry over the South Pacific Ocean.