The 136 tonne-Russian space station Mir may have made it safely back to earth, but not before Lloyd’s had made some last-minute money out of it.

The London market accepted a $200 million reinsurance policy for three Russian firms that covered third parties in the event Mir damaged aircraft, shipping or land-based property. Broker Heath Lambert, which handles 70% of the Russian space insurance market, passed on the risk to Lloyd’s.

Had Mir, or even part of it, landed in a populated area, $200 million might not have gone far. But Lloyd's had faith in the Russian Space Agency, which today mainly sends commercial satellites into orbit. Lloyd’s underwrote its first space risk in 1965, and last year earned $540 million in space insurance premiums.