21.  Russian leaders have been reluctant to part with the station because it is a legacy of the Soviet space program that challenged the United States in the space race.

22.  Russian officials said Thursday that the Mir space station, an aging symbol of Soviet space glory, is likely to be discarded soon for lack of money.

23.  Soviet space officials claimed that the Buran was superior to its American predecessor because of its ability to fly automatically and a bigger capacity.

24.  The decline of the Russian space program is evident in the exhibition hall dedicated to the Soviet space era.

25.  The decision has angered many cosmonauts, space officials and politicians, who deplored the loss of the last remaining symbol of Soviet space glory.

26.  Yet Russian space officials are reluctant to say goodbye to this last major symbol of the Soviet space era, despite its age and blemishes.

27.  Hundreds of objects and souvenirs from the Soviet space program were auctioned Saturday to raise money for former cosmonauts or their heirs.

28.  Koptev said the sorry state of the once dominant Soviet space programme was to blame for the two cosmonauts being stuck in space.