The 1975 Apollo–Soyuz Test Project version of the Soyuz spacecraft (Soyuz 7K-TM) served as a technological bridge to the third generation Soyuz-T (T - транспортный, Transportnyi meaning transport) spacecraft (1976–1986).
_spacecraft.jpg) Soyuz 19, a Soyuz 7K-TM spacecraft, during the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). | |
| Manufacturer | OKB-1 |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Soviet Union |
| Operator | Soviet space program |
| Applications | Crewed spacecraft |
| Specifications | |
| Dimensions |
|
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Production | |
| Status | Retired |
| Launched | 5 |
| Retired | 5 |
| Maiden launch | 3 April 1974 Kosmos 638 |
| Last launch | 15 September 1976 Soyuz 22 |
| Related spacecraft | |
| Derived from | Soyuz 7K-T |
| Derivatives | Soyuz 7K-S Soyuz 7K-ST Soyuz 7K-MF6 |
The Soyuz ASTP spacecraft was designed for use during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project as Soyuz 19. It featured design changes to increase compatibility with the American craft. The Soyuz ASTP featured new solar panels for increased mission length, an APAS-75 docking mechanism instead of the standard male mechanism, and modifications to the environmental control system to lower the cabin pressure to 0.68 atmospheres (69 kPa) prior to docking with Apollo. The ASTP Soyuz backup craft flew as the Soyuz 22 mission, replacing the docking port with a camera.
Missions
editThere are only five spaceflights of the Soyuz 7K-TM spacecraft, mostly in support for the joint US-Soviet Apollo–Soyuz mission. Excess hardware that flew on its final flight (Soyuz 22) were sometimes referred to its own unique configuration called the Soyuz 7K-MF6[1][2]
| Mission | Crew | Launch | Landing | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kosmos 638 | None | 3 Apr 1974 | 13 Apr 1974 | 10 days | First test flight of the APAS-75 docking system[3] |
| Kosmos 672 | None | 12 Aug 1974 | 18 Aug 1974 | 6 days | Second test flight of the APAS-75 docking system[3] |
| Soyuz 16 |  Anatoly Filipchenko Nikolai Rukavishnikov |
2 Dec 1974 | 8 Dec 1974 | 6 days | Third and final dress rehearsal of testing the APAS-75 docking system for the subsequent ASTP mission[4] |
| Soyuz 19 | Alexei Leonov Valery Kubasov |
15 Jul 1975 | 21 Jul 1975 | 6 days | Part of the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project, the first international crewed spaceflight in history[5] |
| Soyuz 22 | Valery Bykovsky Vladimir Aksyonov |
15 Sept 1976 | 23 Sept 1976 | 8 days | Earth sciences and (possibly a) reconnaissance mission. Final crewed Soyuz spaceflight to not visit a space station[6] |
Images
edit
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References
edit- ^ Gunter D. Krebs. "Soyuz 22 (7K-MF6, 11F615A12)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ Mark Wade. "Soyuz 7K-MF6". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ a b Mark Wade. "Soyuz 7K-TM". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
- ^ "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz 16". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz 19 EPAS". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz 22". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
External links
edit- RSC Energia: Concept Of Russian Manned Space Navigation Development
- Mir Hardware Heritage
- David S.F. Portree, Mir Hardware Heritage, NASA RP-1357, 1995
- Mir Hardware Heritage (wikisource)
- Information on Soyuz spacecraft
- OMWorld's ASTP Docking Trainer Page Archived 2007-05-28 at the Wayback Machine
- NASA - Russian Soyuz TMA Spacecraft Details Archived 2021-03-24 at the Wayback Machine
- Space Adventures circum-lunar mission - details