Mir splashdown was a “textbook operation”: Moore

Astronomer and Sky at Night presenter Sir Patrick Moore said the mission to bring Mir back to earth was a ‘‘textbook operation’’.

He paid tribute to the scientific work and international co-operation which took place on board the space station.

‘‘It’s been a great vehicle and, despite the latter troubles, a great success too,’’ he told GMTV from his home in Selsey, West Sussex.

‘‘It is an awful pity we couldn’t put it in a higher orbit and leave it there, but it couldn’t be done.’’

Sir Patrick said the station’s 15-year history had shown that men and women could endure lengthy stays in space, which would be vital in any mission to Mars.

Mir’s destruction did not signal the end of the Russians’ involvement in space exploration as they were still involved in the international space station project.