Salyut 1
Encyclopedia
Salyut 1 was the first space station
of any kind, launched by the USSR on April 19, 1971. It was launched unmanned using a Proton-K
rocket. Its first crew came later in Soyuz 10
, but was unable to dock completely; its second crew launched in Soyuz 11
and remained on board for 23 days. A pressure-equalization valve in the Soyuz 11 reentry capsule opened prematurely when the crew was returning, killing all three. Following the accident, missions were temporarily suspended and the station was burned in the atmosphere purposely after a total of 6 months in orbit.
, and other auxiliary equipment. The fourth, and final, unpressurized compartment was about 2 m in diameter and contained the engine installations and associated control equipment. Salyut had buffer chemical batteries, reserve supplies of oxygen and water, and regeneration systems. Externally mounted were two double sets of solar cell
panels that extended like wings from the smaller compartments at each end, the heat regulation system's radiator
s, and orientation and control devices.
Salyut 1 was modified from one of the Almaz
airframes. The unpressurized service module was the modified service module of a Soyuz craft.
of Byurakan Observatory
in Armenia
, was installed in Salyut 1. Ultraviolet spectrograms
of stars were obtained with the help of a mirror telescope of the Mersenne system and a spectrograph
of the Wadsworth
system using film sensitive to the far ultraviolet. The dispersion of the spectrograph was 32 Å
/mm (3.2 nm/mm), while the resolution of the spectrograms derived was about 5 Å at 2600 Å (0.5 nm at 260 nm). Slitless spectrograms were obtained of the stars Vega
and Beta Centauri
between 2000 and 3800 Å (200 and 380 nm). The telescope was operated by crew member Viktor Patsayev
, who became the first man to operate a telescope outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
After taking 24 h for rendezvous and approach, Soyuz 10
soft-docked with Salyut on April 23 and remained for 5.5 h. Hard-docking was unsuccessful as latches stuck at 9 cm. The crew did not transfer to the space station.
required 3 h 19 min on June 7 to complete docking. The crew transferred to Salyut and their mission was announced as:
On June 29, after flying 362 orbits docked with Salyut, the mission was cut short due to problems aboard the station, including an electrical fire. The crew transferred back to Soyuz 11 and reentered the Earth's atmosphere. The crew was killed on descent due to a loss of cabin atmosphere. They were not wearing pressure suits.
. In the meantime, Soyuz capsules were being substantially re-designed to allow pressure suits to be worn during launch, docking maneuvers, and reentry. As Salyut 1 ran out of supplies, the engines were fired for the last time on October 11 to lower its orbit and ensure prompt destructive re-entry over the Pacific Ocean. After 175 days in space, the first real space station came to an end. Pravda
(October 26, 1971) reported that 75 percent of Salyut 1's studies were carried out by optical means and 20 percent by radio-technical means, while the remainder involved magneto-metrical, gravitational, or other measurements. Synoptic
readings were taken in both the visible and invisible parts of the electromagnetic spectrum
.
Space station
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
of any kind, launched by the USSR on April 19, 1971. It was launched unmanned using a Proton-K
Proton-K
The Proton-K, also designated Proton 8K82K after its GRAU index, 8K82K, is a Russian, previously Soviet, carrier rocket derived from the earlier Proton. It was built by Khrunichev, and is launched from sites 81 and 200 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan...
rocket. Its first crew came later in Soyuz 10
Soyuz 10
Soyuz 10 was a 1971 Soviet manned mission to the world's first space station, Salyut 1. The docking was not successful and the crew returned to Earth without having entered the station.-Mission highlights:Soyuz 10 was launched 23 April 1971...
, but was unable to dock completely; its second crew launched in Soyuz 11
Soyuz 11
Soyuz 11 was the first manned mission to arrive at the world's first space station, Salyut 1. The mission arrived at the space station on June 7, 1971 and departed on June 30, 1971. The mission ended in disaster when the crew capsule depressurized during preparations for re-entry, killing the...
and remained on board for 23 days. A pressure-equalization valve in the Soyuz 11 reentry capsule opened prematurely when the crew was returning, killing all three. Following the accident, missions were temporarily suspended and the station was burned in the atmosphere purposely after a total of 6 months in orbit.
Structure
At launch, the announced purpose of Salyut was to test the elements of the systems of a space station and to conduct scientific research and experiments. The craft was described as being 20 m in length, 4 m in maximum diameter, and 99 m³ in interior space with an on-orbit dry mass of 18,425 kg. Of its several compartments, three were pressurized (100 m³ total), and two could be entered by the crew.Transfer compartment
The transfer compartment was to connect directly with Soyuz. The docking cone had a 2 m front diameter and a 3 m aft diameter.Main compartment
The second, and main, compartment was about 4 m in diameter. Televised views showed enough space for eight big chairs (seven at work consoles), several control panels, and 20 portholes (some obstructed by instruments).Auxiliary compartments
The third pressurized compartment contained the control and communications equipment, the power supply, the life support systemLife support system
In human spaceflight, a life support system is a group of devices that allow a human being to survive in space.US government space agency NASA,and private spaceflight companies...
, and other auxiliary equipment. The fourth, and final, unpressurized compartment was about 2 m in diameter and contained the engine installations and associated control equipment. Salyut had buffer chemical batteries, reserve supplies of oxygen and water, and regeneration systems. Externally mounted were two double sets of solar cell
Solar cell
A solar cell is a solid state electrical device that converts the energy of light directly into electricity by the photovoltaic effect....
panels that extended like wings from the smaller compartments at each end, the heat regulation system's radiator
Radiator
Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for the purpose of cooling and heating. The majority of radiators are constructed to function in automobiles, buildings, and electronics...
s, and orientation and control devices.
Salyut 1 was modified from one of the Almaz
Almaz
The Almaz program was a series of military space stations launched by the Soviet Union under cover of the civilian Salyut DOS-17K program after 1971....
airframes. The unpressurized service module was the modified service module of a Soyuz craft.
Orion 1 Space Observatory
The astrophysical Orion 1 Space Observatory designed by Grigor GurzadyanGrigor Gurzadyan
- Life :Gurzadyan was born on October 15, 1922 in Baghdad, to parents who fled in 1915 Western Armenia. Upon graduating the from the Hydrotechnical and Constructional Department of Yerevan Polytechnic Institute in 1944, he became the postgraduate of Victor Ambartsumian, who had just moved to Armenia...
of Byurakan Observatory
Byurakan Observatory
The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, or Byurakan Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Armenian Academy of Sciences. It is located on the slope of Mount Aragats in the village of Byurakan in Armenia.-History:...
in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, was installed in Salyut 1. Ultraviolet spectrograms
UV astronomy
Ultraviolet astronomy is generally used to refer to observations of electromagnetic radiation at ultraviolet wavelengths between approximately 10 and 320 nanometres; shorter wavelengths—higher energy photons—are studied by X-ray astronomy and gamma ray astronomy...
of stars were obtained with the help of a mirror telescope of the Mersenne system and a spectrograph
Spectrograph
A spectrograph is an instrument that separates an incoming wave into a frequency spectrum. There are several kinds of machines referred to as spectrographs, depending on the precise nature of the waves...
of the Wadsworth
Wadsworth
- Placenames :*Wadsworth, West Yorkshire, EnglandU.S. places:* Wadsworth, Illinois, village* Wadsworth, Nevada, census-designated place* Wadsworth, Ohio, city* Wadsworth Township, Medina County, Ohio* Wadsworth, Texas, unincorporated community- Other :...
system using film sensitive to the far ultraviolet. The dispersion of the spectrograph was 32 Å
Ångström
The angstrom or ångström, is a unit of length equal to 1/10,000,000,000 of a meter . Its symbol is the Swedish letter Å....
/mm (3.2 nm/mm), while the resolution of the spectrograms derived was about 5 Å at 2600 Å (0.5 nm at 260 nm). Slitless spectrograms were obtained of the stars Vega
Vega
Vega is the brightest star in the constellation Lyra, the fifth brightest star in the night sky and the second brightest star in the northern celestial hemisphere, after Arcturus...
and Beta Centauri
Beta Centauri
Beta Centauri , also known as Hadar or Agena, is the second brightest star in the constellation Centaurus and the tenth brightest star in the night sky. Beta Centauri is a B1 III blue-white giant star that the astrometric Hipparcos satellite calculates as about 161 parsecs or 525 light-years from...
between 2000 and 3800 Å (200 and 380 nm). The telescope was operated by crew member Viktor Patsayev
Viktor Patsayev
Viktor Ivanovich Patsayev was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on the Soyuz 11 mission and had the unfortunate distinction of being part of the second crew to die during a space flight...
, who became the first man to operate a telescope outside the Earth’s atmosphere.
Specifications
- Length - 15.8 m
- Maximum diameter - 4.15 m
- Habitable volume - 90 m³
- Mass at launch - 18,900 kg
- Launch vehicle - Proton (three-stage)
- Span across solar arrays - about 10 m
- Area of solar arrays - 28 m²
- Number of solar arrays - 4
- Resupply carriers - Salyut 1-type Soyuz
- Number of docking ports - 1
- Total manned missions - 2
- Total long-duration manned missions - 1
Soyuz 10
Soyuz 10
Soyuz 10 was a 1971 Soviet manned mission to the world's first space station, Salyut 1. The docking was not successful and the crew returned to Earth without having entered the station.-Mission highlights:Soyuz 10 was launched 23 April 1971...
soft-docked with Salyut on April 23 and remained for 5.5 h. Hard-docking was unsuccessful as latches stuck at 9 cm. The crew did not transfer to the space station.
| Expedition | Crew | Launch date | Flight up | Landing date | Flight down | Duration (days) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soyuz 10 Soyuz 10 Soyuz 10 was a 1971 Soviet manned mission to the world's first space station, Salyut 1. The docking was not successful and the crew returned to Earth without having entered the station.-Mission highlights:Soyuz 10 was launched 23 April 1971... |
Vladimir Shatalov Vladimir Shatalov Vladimir Aleksandrovich Shatalov is a former Soviet cosmonaut who flew three space missions of the Soyuz programme: Soyuz 4, Soyuz 8, and Soyuz 10.... , Aleksei Yeliseyev Aleksei Yeliseyev Aleksei Stanislavovich Yeliseyev is a retired Soviet cosmonaut who flew on three missions in the Soyuz programme as a flight engineer: Soyuz 5, Soyuz 8, and Soyuz 10.... and Nikolai Rukavishnikov Nikolai Rukavishnikov |Nikolai Nikolayevich Rukavishnikov was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew three space missions of the Soyuz programme: Soyuz 10, Soyuz 16, and Soyuz 33... |
April 23, 1971 | Soyuz 10 Soyuz 10 Soyuz 10 was a 1971 Soviet manned mission to the world's first space station, Salyut 1. The docking was not successful and the crew returned to Earth without having entered the station.-Mission highlights:Soyuz 10 was launched 23 April 1971... |
April 25, 1971 | Soyuz 10 Soyuz 10 Soyuz 10 was a 1971 Soviet manned mission to the world's first space station, Salyut 1. The docking was not successful and the crew returned to Earth without having entered the station.-Mission highlights:Soyuz 10 was launched 23 April 1971... |
0 | Failed docking |
Soyuz 11
Soyuz 11Soyuz 11
Soyuz 11 was the first manned mission to arrive at the world's first space station, Salyut 1. The mission arrived at the space station on June 7, 1971 and departed on June 30, 1971. The mission ended in disaster when the crew capsule depressurized during preparations for re-entry, killing the...
required 3 h 19 min on June 7 to complete docking. The crew transferred to Salyut and their mission was announced as:
- Checking the design, units, onboard systems, and equipment of the orbital piloted station
- Testing the station's manual and autonomous procedures for orientation and navigation, as well as the control systems for maneuvering the space complex in orbit
- Studying Earth's surface geology and geography, meteorology, and snow and ice cover
- Studying physical characteristics, processes, and phenomena in the atmosphere and outer space in various regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, and
- Conducting medico-biological studies to determine the feasibility of having cosmonauts in the station perform various tasks, and studying the influence of space flight on the human organism.
On June 29, after flying 362 orbits docked with Salyut, the mission was cut short due to problems aboard the station, including an electrical fire. The crew transferred back to Soyuz 11 and reentered the Earth's atmosphere. The crew was killed on descent due to a loss of cabin atmosphere. They were not wearing pressure suits.
| Expedition | Crew | Launch date | Flight up | Landing date | Flight down | Duration (days) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soyuz 11 Soyuz 11 Soyuz 11 was the first manned mission to arrive at the world's first space station, Salyut 1. The mission arrived at the space station on June 7, 1971 and departed on June 30, 1971. The mission ended in disaster when the crew capsule depressurized during preparations for re-entry, killing the... |
Georgi Dobrovolski, Viktor Patsayev Viktor Patsayev Viktor Ivanovich Patsayev was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on the Soyuz 11 mission and had the unfortunate distinction of being part of the second crew to die during a space flight... , Vladislav Volkov Vladislav Volkov Vladislav Nikolayevich Volkov was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew on the Soyuz 7 and Soyuz 11 missions. The second mission terminated fatally.-Biography:... |
June 6, 1971 04:55:09 UTC | Soyuz 11 Soyuz 11 Soyuz 11 was the first manned mission to arrive at the world's first space station, Salyut 1. The mission arrived at the space station on June 7, 1971 and departed on June 30, 1971. The mission ended in disaster when the crew capsule depressurized during preparations for re-entry, killing the... |
June 29, 1971 23:16:52 UTC | Soyuz 11 Soyuz 11 Soyuz 11 was the first manned mission to arrive at the world's first space station, Salyut 1. The mission arrived at the space station on June 7, 1971 and departed on June 30, 1971. The mission ended in disaster when the crew capsule depressurized during preparations for re-entry, killing the... |
23.77 | Crew died on reentry |
Re-entry
Salyut 1 was moved to a higher orbit in July and August 1971 to ensure that it would not be destroyed prematurely through orbital decayOrbital decay
Orbital decay is the process of prolonged reduction in the altitude of a satellite's orbit.This can be due to drag produced by an atmosphere due to frequent collisions between the satellite and surrounding air molecules. The drag experienced by the object is larger in the case of increased solar...
. In the meantime, Soyuz capsules were being substantially re-designed to allow pressure suits to be worn during launch, docking maneuvers, and reentry. As Salyut 1 ran out of supplies, the engines were fired for the last time on October 11 to lower its orbit and ensure prompt destructive re-entry over the Pacific Ocean. After 175 days in space, the first real space station came to an end. Pravda
Pravda
Pravda was a leading newspaper of the Soviet Union and an official organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party between 1912 and 1991....
(October 26, 1971) reported that 75 percent of Salyut 1's studies were carried out by optical means and 20 percent by radio-technical means, while the remainder involved magneto-metrical, gravitational, or other measurements. Synoptic
Synoptic
Synoptic is derived from the Greek words σύν and ὄψις , and describes observations that give a broad view of a subject at a particular time. Specific uses include:*Synoptic scale meteorology*Synoptic Gospels*SynOptics...
readings were taken in both the visible and invisible parts of the electromagnetic spectrum
Electromagnetic spectrum
The electromagnetic spectrum is the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. The "electromagnetic spectrum" of an object is the characteristic distribution of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by that particular object....
.