Defenders of the Mir space station organized a protest rally in downtown Moscow, Thursday, not far from the mayors office. The event's organizers believe the destruction of the space station would leave the country lagging in the exploration of space.

The protesters demanded Mir be rescued and kept in orbit. The station is scheduled to be deorbited sometime around March 10. They suggested that the station should be financially supported by some of the companies in the Podmoskoviye -- the area around Russia's capital.

The area is Russia's second strongest financial region, as well as the home of key Russian space enterprises such as the Russian Aviation and Space Agency's Mission Control Center, spacecraft manufacturer RSC Energia and the Gagarin Cosmonauts Training Center.