Russia's space station Mir will be taken out of service and plunged into the Pacific ocean in December next year, Itar-Tass news agency reported on Onday. Mir will begin its slow descent into the atmosphere on Thursday, said deputy director of the space flight centre Voktor Blagov, when the space station currently at an altitude of 370 km will be brought six km closer to earth thanks to the engine of the progress supply carft which is hooked up to Mir.