All rights reserved. © 2026
NPR & PBS for South Texas (361) 855-2213
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

The Collision That Sent the Soviet Space Station Tumbling

Season 2026 Episode 2 | 1m 26s

Russian cosmonaut Alexander ‘Sasha’ Lazutkin and U.S. astronaut Michael Foale recall the terrifying moment an out-of-control vessel struck the Soviet space station Mir. Together, they fought to save themselves and the station, but the reaction they received when they finally made it back home to their respective countries was very different.

Extras
Get a sneak peek at a brand new season of NATURE on PBS.
Terry Virts helps build the cupola, a window that forever transformed how we see the Earth.
Sergei Zalyotin offers invaluable advice about what alcohol to drink in space.
Jerry Linenger shares a letter he wrote to his young son while aboard space station Mir.
Sasha Lazutkin and his wife Lyudmila talk about the arrival of American astronauts at Star City.
Anna Fisher, the first mother in space, and daughter Kristin, reflect on leaving loved ones behind.
Meeting astronaut Ron McNair inspires Charlie Bolden to apply to NASA.
At dawn of a new space race, this series tells the human story of our quest to explore the cosmos.
At dawn of a new space race, this series tells the human story of our quest to explore the cosmos.
Sophie Shrand and crew pack the car, charge the batteries, focus the cameras, and hit the road.
Latest Episodes
Relationships aboard the ISS are tested when war breaks out on Earth.
The arrival of the International Space Station promises a new era of cooperation in space.
When the Soviet Union falls, Russia welcomes US astronauts to their space station Mir.
A pioneering class of astronauts is recruited by NASA to fly aboard its new Space Shuttle.