Salyut 6

Salyut 6 was a launched Soviet Space station the September 29th 1977. Although in the pace it resembles the preceding stations Salyut, it had several revolutionary innovations, as for example a second point of mooring where a cargo liner Progress could fasten and supply the station. With Salyut 6, the Soviet space program passed from short stays to long stays in space.

Of 1977 with 1982, Salyut 6 was visited by 5 crews at long life and 11 crews at short duration, including cosmonauts - enquiring resulting from the countries of the Warsaw Pact or sympathizers of the Soviet Union: the Czechoslovakian Vladimir Remek, the first traveller of space nonresulting from the the United States or the Soviet Union, flew in Salyut 6 in 1978. The countries concerned were: Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Cuba, Mongolia, Vietnam and German Democratic republic. The very first stay long life on board Salyut 6 beat an established record on board Skylab in 1974, while remaining 96 days in orbit. The longest flight on board Salyut 6 lasted 185 days. The fourth forwarding deployed an antenna radio telescope of 10 meters brought by a vessel cargo liner. After that, the manned flights towards Salyut 6 were discontinuous in 1981, a heavy vessel TKS not-lived and developed with the material of the program Almaz cancelled was moored at the station in material test. Salyut 6 was désorbitée the July 29th 1982.

The Progress moored automatically at the back point, and were opened and locked by the cosmonauts from the station. The transfer of the fuel towards the station automatically took place under the control of the Earth. A second point of stowing also meant that the crews at long life could receive “visitors”. 12 Progress cargo liners brought more than 20 tons of equipment, provisions and fuel. A vessel of experimental transport called “Cosmos 1267” moored in Salyut 6 in 1982. This vessel was designed at the origin for the program Almaz. Cosmos 1267 showed that large modules could moor automatically at the space stations, a great step towards the stations multimodulaires Mir and ISS.

Salyut 6 had six crews resident. The December 10th 1977, the first crew, Yuri Romanenko and Georgi Grechko, arrived on board Soyuz 26 and remained for 96 days. The June 15th 1978, Vladimir Kovalyonok and Alexandre Ivantchenkov (Soyuz 29) were able to remain 140 days. Vladimir Liakhov and Valery Ryumin (Soyuz 32) arrived the February 25th 1979 and remained 175 days. The April 9th 1980, Leonid Popov and Valery Ryumin (Soyuz 35) arrived for the longest stay on board Salyut 6,185 days. A mission of maintenance, made up of Leonid Kizim, Oleg Makarov and Gennady Strekalov (Soyuz T-3) worked on the station during 12 days starting from the November 27th 1980. The March 12th 1981 the last crew, Vladimir Kovalyonok and Viktor Savinykh, arrived and remained 75 days. During this time, there were also 10 “visiting” missions, of the crews come to bring provisions and to make visits at short duration with the crews resident.

Missions towards Salyut 6

Extra-vehicular exits of Salyut 6

Technical data

  • Length: 15,8 m
  • maximum Diameter: 4,15 m
  • livable Volume: 90 m ³
  • Mass with launching: 19.824 kg
  • Launcher: Rocket Proton (three stages)
  • orbital Slope: 51,6°
  • Envergure enters the solar panels: 17 m
  • Surface of solar panels: 51 m ²
  • Many solar panels: 3
  • Power available: 4-5 kw
  • Vessels of supply: cargo liners Soyuz, Soyuz T, Progress, TKS
  • Many points of mooring: 2
  • Full number of live missions: 18
  • Full number of not-lived missions: 13
  • Full number of live missions long life: 6
  • Number of principal words: 2
  • principal Output engine (each one): 300 kgf (2,9 kN)

Vessels and crews

(Launched Crews, launched vessels and listed dates of landing)

  • Soyuz 25 - 9 October 11th, 1977 - stowing missed

    • Vladimir Kovalyonok
    • Valery Ryumin

  • Soyuz 27 - January 10th, 1978 - March 16th, 1978

    • Oleg Makarov
    • Vladimir Dzhanibekov

  • Soyuz 29 - June 15th - September 3rd, 1978

    • Vladimir Kovalyonok
    • Aleksandr Ivanchenkov

  • Soyuz 30 - June 27th - July 5th, 1978 - flight Intercosmos

    • Pyotr Klimuk
    • Miroslaw Hermaszewski Poland

  • Soyuz 33 - 10 April 12th, 1979 - flight Intercosmos - stowing missed

    • Nikolay Rukavishnikov
    • Georgi Ivanov

  • Soyuz 34 - June 6th - August 19th, 1979 - landed with a crew

    • Lancé vacuum to replace Soyuz 33

  • Soyuz 35 - April 9th - June 3rd, 1980

    • Leonid Popov
    • Valery Ryumin

  • Soyuz T-2 - 5 June 9th, 1980

    • Yuri Malyshev
    • Vladimir Aksyonov

  • Soyuz 39 - 22 March 30th, 1980 - flight Intercosmos

    • Vladimir Dzhanibekov
    • Jugderdemidiyn Gurragcha Mongolia

Internal bonds

External bonds

  • the station Salyut 3 on the site of NASA
  • Report/ratio of NASA of 1987 on the Soviet space stations (pdf)

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