Mir means "peace" and "community" in Russian. The Mir space station contributed to world peace by hosting international scientists and American astronauts. It also supported a community of humans in orbit and symbolized the commonwealth of the Russian people. Mir was constructed in orbit by connecting different modules, each launched separately from 1986 to 1996. During the Shuttle-Mir Program, Russia's Mir combined its capabilities with America's space shuttles. The orbiting Mir provided a large scientific laboratory in space where people could live. The visiting space shuttles provided transport and supplies, as well as temporary enlargements of living and working areas, creating the largest spacecraft in history, with a combined mass of 250 tons. The 100-ton Mir was as big as six schoolbuses. Inside, it looked more like a cramped labyrinth, crowded with hoses, cables and scientific instruments�as well as articles of everyday life, such as photos, children's drawings, books and a guitar. It noramlly housed three crewmembers, but it sometimes supported as many as six, for up to a month. Except for two short periods, Mir was continuously occupied until August 1999. The journey of the 15-year-old Russian space station ended March 23, 2001, as Mir re-entered the Earth's atmosphere near Nadi, Fiji, and fell into the South Pacific. Despite its inconveniences, many cosmonauts and astronauts grew to love Mir, comparing it to a living being with qualities, needs, and eccentricities.