Mir Splashes Down, Hits Remote Target

March 23, 2001 -- The de-orbit of the Russian space station Mir went off without a hitch early this morning, slamming glowing pieces of the station into the Pacific Ocean.

Russian authorities said Mir splashed down within the designated target zone in a remote area of the Pacific around 1 a.m. ET.

Watch the re-entry of the Mir

The third of three braking operations began the space station's fiery plunge toward Earth. The splashdown ended the space station's 15-year, 2.1 billion-mile voyage.

Blazing Chunks

The timing was critical for Russian Space Control. The final slowdown of the vessel occurred while it was over Egypt, dropping Mir into Earth's atmosphere over Japan and into a desolate part of the Pacific Ocean.

At Russian mission control, officials shook hands and congratulated each other on the successful re-entry operation. The Russians are not the only ones who are relieved by the successful splashdown.

"We're happy too," said Maj. Perry Nouis, spokesperson for the U.S. Space Command in Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., which was helping Russia track the space station as it circled the globe.

"We had a lot of confidence that the Russians would be able to lay out the plan… Mir hit the very tip of the designated target area," he says.

Several incandescent pieces of the 136-ton space station were seen hurtling toward Earth's surface by residents and tourists in Fiji. The remnants of the space station sent a huge smoke trail through the sky, followed by a sonic boom, the Associated Press reported.

The de-orbit of Mir was set in motion by Russian mission control late Thursday when the station was about 130 miles above Earth. Controllers fired the thrusters on the Progress cargo ship to push Mir toward the planet. Hours later, mission control fired the thrusters again. The third and final braking measure set the ship into the Earth's atmosphere, where it was pulled down by gravity.

A Sigh of Relief?

There have been no reports of any damage or injuries from descending pieces of the aging space station.

Despite repeated reassurances from Russia, several countries, including Japan, New Zealand and Australia expressed concern in the past weeks that Russia's aim could be off. Japan advised residents living on southern islands to seek shelter during the de-orbit operation.

Other people in the area worried they might become floating targets for debris from the space station. American fisherman on some two dozen fishing boats in the area decided not to leave because the risk of being struck with debris was so small, but said many were nervous.

The Russian government took out $200 million of insurance policy just in case of a mishap.

ABCNEWS' Anya Ardayeva in Moscow, and Nathan Thomas in London contributed to this report.