PMA-2 mine

The PMA-2 is a Yugoslavian blast antipersonnel mine. Sometimes referred to as the 'Pašteta', due to its superficial resemblance to a meat-pâté tin. The mine is constructed from dark green plastic, with a distinctive plunger which has six petals radiating from it.

Overview

The mine is armed by removing a pin which blocks the downward travel of the six-pronged plunger. After removing the arming pin, sufficient pressure on the plunger (by the victim's foot) forces it downwards into the main fuze body, which ignites a friction-sensitive pyrotechnic composition. The burning pyrotechnic composition flashes through to the detonator which fires, initiating a small RDX booster pellet which in turn detonates the main TNT explosive charge.

Generally, PMA-2 mines are buried in such a way that only the star-shaped plunger is visible above ground. However, although this mine is not completely concealed (unlike so many others), it can be very difficult to spot it, particularly in heavy undergrowth or leaf litter.

Pressurized Mating Adapter

The Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA) is a spacecraft adapter that converts the Common Berthing Mechanism (CBM) to APAS-95. There are three PMAs located on the International Space Station (ISS). The first two PMAs were launched with the Unity module in 1998 aboard STS-88. The third was launched in 2000 aboard STS-92.

Uses

All the PMAs on the ISS are identical but used slightly differently, and all three perform the same basic function of connecting a Common Berthing Mechanism port of an ISS module to an APAS-95 docking port of another module or visiting spacecraft. For this the PMAs carry a passive CBM port and a passive APAS port. They are pressurized and heated from the inside, and through docking rings as well as external connections allow for power and data communications transfer.

PMA-1

This was one of the first components of the International Space Station and joins the Russian side of the station with the US side. On STS-88 the crew used the shuttle's robotic arm to attach the Zarya control module to PMA-1, which was already connected to the aft berthing port of Unity. PMA-1 now permanently connects these first two station components.