Old Russ. Space Station refers to the Mir Space Station, a Soviet space station that was in operation from 1986 to 2001. It was the first modular space station and was assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996. It was the longest-operating space station in history and held the record for the longest continuous human presence in space until the International Space Station surpassed it in 2010. The Mir Space Station was a symbol of Russian space exploration and was visited by many astronauts from around the world.