With the testing of Kvant-1 concluded, additional solar panels installed and Kvant's gyrodines available, a major step in the construction of the Mir space station was achieved. The X-ray telescope onboard Kvant-1 could start with a bang: it was uniquely placed to study Supernova SN 1987A in the Large Magellanic Cloud, the peak of its light reaching Earth in May 1987. The cosmonauts onboard Mir could examine the exploding star during 115 sessions between June and September 1987.