Soyuz spacecraft, second generation
In the previous article I have summarized Soyuz first generation focused on getting 2 or 3 members of the crew to the orbit and tried to dock with space station Salyut 1 which didn't occur without troubles. The original aim of the mission was however circumlunar flight which was not achieved.
The second generation, which was also called as Soyuz Ferry, Soyuz 7K-T, covered Soyuz 12 to 40 between years 1973 and 1981, and 5 unmanned missions under Cosmos 496, 573, 613, 656 and Soyuz 20 (long duration test, covering testing of onboard upgrades and testing of biological payload exposed to space for 3 months). Manned missions were carrying two cosmonauts wearing spacesuit for launch, docking, and reentry.
After the Soyuz 11 tragedy the modified Soyuz 12 meant to provide greater crew safety. First it meant that the number of member changed from 3 to 2 to be able to fit into spacesuits.
The first manned space observatory Orion 2 was installed onboard the Soyuz 13 in 1973. The observatory was operated by V. Lebedev.
The Soyuz 14 mission was part of the Soviet Almaz program. The military nature was not clear. The mission was the only one to space station Salyut 3, because the following Soyuz 15 failed to dock with the station and the station deorbited in January 1975.
The Soyuz 7K-T/A9 version was used to the military space station Almaz. Almaz was high secret space station program launched between 1973 and 1976. To cover the military object, the first launches were named as Salyut 2, Salyut 3 and Salyut 5. Salyut didn't reach the orbit, but the other 2 space stations performed successful tests. Remember on the Peaceful Use of the Outer Space Treaty from 1967.
OPS-2 Almaz 101.2 as Salyut 3 was launched on June 25, 1974. The crew of the Soyuz 14 spent 15 days aboard the station in July 1974. A second mission was launched in August 1974 but didn't reach the station. The station was deorbited in January 1975.
OPS-3 Almaz 103 as Salyut 5 was visited by two crew mission in 1976 and 1977.
Soyuz 16 was manned test flight for an Apollo-Soyuz test project in 1974. The crew tested docking ring and other systems to be used in the joint project.
Soyuz 17 was the first of two long duration mission to Salyut 3 space station in 1975.
Soyuz 18a was unsuccessful launch. The crew was safely recovered. Following Soyuz 18 was the second and final crew to Salyut 4. They have set a new space endurance record of 63 days in space.
The Soyuz 7K-TM version was in the Apollo-Soyuz test project in 1975, see article Apollo - Soyuz test project. In the Soyuz program the mission was under Soyuz 19.
Soyuz 21 mission was manned flight to Salyut 5 in 1976, the first from three. It had mainly military focus, but also made scientific tasks. Soyuz 22 was modified Soyuz spacecraft which was refurbished from the backup spacecraft of the Apollo-Soyuz test project. Soyuz 23 was supposed to be the second flight to the space station Salyut 5 but it failed to dock with the station, so the mission was aborted. They have made unplanned splashdown to the partially frozen lake and sank there. The recovery operation took 9 hours to get the capsule from the lake. The cosmonauts opened the doors themselves after 11 hours after the splashdown, when nobody expected them to be still alive also due to the low temperatures. The third and last mission to Salyut 5 was Soyuz 24 in 1977. They reactivated station after the toxic fumes that apparently terminated the Soyuz 21 mission.
Soyuz 25 was manned space flight towards the new space station Salyut 6 launched 10 days earlier in 1977. Unfortunately, mission was aborted due to failure to engage the docking latches. They had to return to Earth because they had insufficient amount of fuel and battery power for only two days.
Soyuz 26 mission was the first long duration crew on the space station Salyut 6 launched on December 10, 1977. Soyuz 27 arrived in January 1978 and its crew transferred to Soyuz 26 and land few days later.
Soyuz 28 (see article Vladimir Remek, first cosmonaut from different country than US or Soviet Union) was the fourth mission to the station and third successful docking. Cosmonaut V. Remek from Czechoslovakia (now separated Czech Republic) became the first person in space who was not from the Unites States or the Soviet Union. The flight was the first mission in the Intercosmos program that gave Eastern Bloc access to space also through the unmanned missions.
Soyuz 29 was another flight to Salyut 6 space station in 1978. The crew established a new record of 139 days spent in the space. The crew returned in Soyuz 31. Soyuz 30 carrying first Polish cosmonaut visited the long duration Soyuz 29 crew. Soyuz 31 brought to the station the first East German cosmonaut. Soyuz 32 mission was the third long duration mission and they didn't bring any visitor onboard.
Soyuz 33 was mission to space but due to the engine failure the mission was aborted. It was supposed to bring Bulgarian cosmonaut to the station. The crew experience very steep ballistic reentry, but luckily the crew was recovered safely.
Soyuz 34 was unmanned mission to bring the supply for the station crew. The Soyuz 35 crew were the fourth long duration crew to the Salyut 6 space station. Soyuz 36 was mission in 1980 and Hungarian cosmonaut visited the space station Salyut 6. Soyuz 37 carried the first asian cosmonaut from Vietnam. Soyuz 38 carried cosmonaut from Cuba to space station Salyut 6 in 1980. Soyuz 39 carried cosmonaut from Mongolia in 1981. Soyuz 40 was the final space flight of the second generation Soyuz 7K-T in 1981. The spacecraft carried cosmonaut from Romania.
Spaceflights Soyuz 13, 16, 19, and 22 used variant of the Soyuz 7K-T with solar panels. Otherwise they had limited battery supply.
Progress 1 was a Soviet unmanned Progress cargo spacecraft which was launched in 1978 to resupply the Salyut 6 space station, see above. Progress is Soviet/Russian cargo spacecraft to supply the space stations. Progress is derived from the manned version of Soyuz spacecraft. It is launched on the same Soyuz rocket.
Salyut 1 had 1 crew onboard, Salyut 2 depressurized after being hit by debris from the exploded Proton upper stage. Salyut 3 had 1 crew onboard. Salyut 4 had 2 crews onboard. Salyut 5 had 2 crews onboard. Salyut 6 was visited by 16 crews. Salyut 7 belong to the next stage of Soyuz spacecraft generation.
The second generation, which was also called as Soyuz Ferry, Soyuz 7K-T, covered Soyuz 12 to 40 between years 1973 and 1981, and 5 unmanned missions under Cosmos 496, 573, 613, 656 and Soyuz 20 (long duration test, covering testing of onboard upgrades and testing of biological payload exposed to space for 3 months). Manned missions were carrying two cosmonauts wearing spacesuit for launch, docking, and reentry.
After the Soyuz 11 tragedy the modified Soyuz 12 meant to provide greater crew safety. First it meant that the number of member changed from 3 to 2 to be able to fit into spacesuits.
The first manned space observatory Orion 2 was installed onboard the Soyuz 13 in 1973. The observatory was operated by V. Lebedev.
The Soyuz 14 mission was part of the Soviet Almaz program. The military nature was not clear. The mission was the only one to space station Salyut 3, because the following Soyuz 15 failed to dock with the station and the station deorbited in January 1975.
 |
| Soyuz 7K-T (Ferry) |
The Soyuz 7K-T/A9 version was used to the military space station Almaz. Almaz was high secret space station program launched between 1973 and 1976. To cover the military object, the first launches were named as Salyut 2, Salyut 3 and Salyut 5. Salyut didn't reach the orbit, but the other 2 space stations performed successful tests. Remember on the Peaceful Use of the Outer Space Treaty from 1967.
OPS-2 Almaz 101.2 as Salyut 3 was launched on June 25, 1974. The crew of the Soyuz 14 spent 15 days aboard the station in July 1974. A second mission was launched in August 1974 but didn't reach the station. The station was deorbited in January 1975.
OPS-3 Almaz 103 as Salyut 5 was visited by two crew mission in 1976 and 1977.
Soyuz 16 was manned test flight for an Apollo-Soyuz test project in 1974. The crew tested docking ring and other systems to be used in the joint project.
Soyuz 17 was the first of two long duration mission to Salyut 3 space station in 1975.
Soyuz 18a was unsuccessful launch. The crew was safely recovered. Following Soyuz 18 was the second and final crew to Salyut 4. They have set a new space endurance record of 63 days in space.
The Soyuz 7K-TM version was in the Apollo-Soyuz test project in 1975, see article Apollo - Soyuz test project. In the Soyuz program the mission was under Soyuz 19.
 |
| Apollo - Soyuz |
Soyuz 21 mission was manned flight to Salyut 5 in 1976, the first from three. It had mainly military focus, but also made scientific tasks. Soyuz 22 was modified Soyuz spacecraft which was refurbished from the backup spacecraft of the Apollo-Soyuz test project. Soyuz 23 was supposed to be the second flight to the space station Salyut 5 but it failed to dock with the station, so the mission was aborted. They have made unplanned splashdown to the partially frozen lake and sank there. The recovery operation took 9 hours to get the capsule from the lake. The cosmonauts opened the doors themselves after 11 hours after the splashdown, when nobody expected them to be still alive also due to the low temperatures. The third and last mission to Salyut 5 was Soyuz 24 in 1977. They reactivated station after the toxic fumes that apparently terminated the Soyuz 21 mission.
 |
| Soyuz (F) - Salyut 6 (S6) - Progress (P) |
Soyuz 25 was manned space flight towards the new space station Salyut 6 launched 10 days earlier in 1977. Unfortunately, mission was aborted due to failure to engage the docking latches. They had to return to Earth because they had insufficient amount of fuel and battery power for only two days.
Soyuz 26 mission was the first long duration crew on the space station Salyut 6 launched on December 10, 1977. Soyuz 27 arrived in January 1978 and its crew transferred to Soyuz 26 and land few days later.
Soyuz 28 (see article Vladimir Remek, first cosmonaut from different country than US or Soviet Union) was the fourth mission to the station and third successful docking. Cosmonaut V. Remek from Czechoslovakia (now separated Czech Republic) became the first person in space who was not from the Unites States or the Soviet Union. The flight was the first mission in the Intercosmos program that gave Eastern Bloc access to space also through the unmanned missions.
Soyuz 29 was another flight to Salyut 6 space station in 1978. The crew established a new record of 139 days spent in the space. The crew returned in Soyuz 31. Soyuz 30 carrying first Polish cosmonaut visited the long duration Soyuz 29 crew. Soyuz 31 brought to the station the first East German cosmonaut. Soyuz 32 mission was the third long duration mission and they didn't bring any visitor onboard.
Soyuz 33 was mission to space but due to the engine failure the mission was aborted. It was supposed to bring Bulgarian cosmonaut to the station. The crew experience very steep ballistic reentry, but luckily the crew was recovered safely.
 |
| Soyuz 33 descent module from the museum. |
Spaceflights Soyuz 13, 16, 19, and 22 used variant of the Soyuz 7K-T with solar panels. Otherwise they had limited battery supply.
Progress 1 was a Soviet unmanned Progress cargo spacecraft which was launched in 1978 to resupply the Salyut 6 space station, see above. Progress is Soviet/Russian cargo spacecraft to supply the space stations. Progress is derived from the manned version of Soyuz spacecraft. It is launched on the same Soyuz rocket.
Salyut 1 had 1 crew onboard, Salyut 2 depressurized after being hit by debris from the exploded Proton upper stage. Salyut 3 had 1 crew onboard. Salyut 4 had 2 crews onboard. Salyut 5 had 2 crews onboard. Salyut 6 was visited by 16 crews. Salyut 7 belong to the next stage of Soyuz spacecraft generation.
Comments
Post a Comment