With the impending re entry of the Mir Space Station in less than a year, it was discovered it was most likely due to hit Denver, Colorado. Despite the Russians desire to blow up the station with an old ASAT, the US decided to try a different approach. Using funds earmarked for the NSA (National Security Agency) and some hardware from the days of the Apollo Program that somehow was still in service, they requested the use of the Soviet-era shuttle, the Buran.