Mir Environmental Effects Payload

POSA-I prior to launch on STS-76.
POSA-2 prior to launch on STS-76

The Mir Environmental Effects Payload (MEEP) was a set of four experiments installed on the Russian space station Mir from March 1996 to October 1997 to study the effects of space debris impacts and exposure to the space environment on a variety of materials.[1] The materials used in the experiments were being considered for use on the International Space Station, and by exposing them at a similar orbital altitude to that flown by the ISS, the experiments provided an assessment of the performance of those materials in a similar space environment.[1] MEEP also fulfilled the need to examine the occurrence and effects of man-made debris and natural micrometeoroids through capture and impact studies.[1] The experiments were installed on the Mir docking module during STS-76,[2] and retrieved during STS-86.[3]

  1. ^ a b c "STS-76 Mir Environmental Effects Payload (MEEP)". NASA. March 1996. Retrieved 8 March 2011.
  2. ^ Jim Dumoulin (29 June 2001). "STS-76 Mission Summary". NASA. Archived from the original on 6 August 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2007.
  3. ^ Jim Dumoulin (29 June 2001). "STS-86 Mission Summary". NASA. Retrieved 30 March 2007.