Soyuz-T

Not to be confused with Soyuz 7K-T.

The Soyuz-T (Russian: Союз-T, Union-T) spacecraft was the third generation Soyuz spacecraft, in service for seven years from 1979 to 1986. The T stood for transport (транспортный, Transportny). The revised spacecraft incorporated lessons learned from the Apollo Soyuz Test Project, Soyuz 7K-TM and Military Soyuz.

Soyuz-T

Soyuz-T spacecraft
Manufacturer	Korolev
Country of origin	USSR
Operator	Soviet space program
Applications	Carry three cosmonauts to Salyut and Mir space stations and back
Specifications
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Production
Status	Out of service
Launched	18
Maiden launch	4 April 1978 Kosmos 1001
Last launch	16 March 1986 Soyuz T-15
Related spacecraft
Derived from	Soyuz 7K-TM Soyuz 7K-T Soyuz 7K-S
Derivatives	Soyuz-TM

The Soyuz-T was a major upgrade over previous Soyuz spacecraft, sporting solid-state electronics for the first time and a much more advanced onboard computer to help overcome the chronic docking problems that affected cosmonauts during space station missions. In addition, solar panels returned, allowing the Soyuz-T to fly up to 11 days independently as well as a redesigned propulsion system, the KTDU-426. Finally, it could carry three cosmonauts with pressure suits.

Missions

Main article: List of Soviet human spaceflight missions

Between 1979 and 1986, a total of 18 Soyuz T spacecraft were launched into LEO, 13 of which carried cosmonauts to and from the space stations Salyut 6, Salyut 7, and Mir.^[1]

Mission	Crew	Launch	Landing	Duration	Notes
Kosmos 1001	None	4 Apr 1978	15 Apr 1978	11 days	[2]
Kosmos 1074	None	31 Jan 1979	1 Apr 1979	60 days	Last Soyuz spacecraft with a Kosmos designation[2]
Soyuz T-1	None	16 Dec 1979	25 Mar 1980	100 days	Uncrewed test flight to Salyut 6[2]
Soyuz T-2	Salyut 6 EP-6: Yury Malyshev Vladimir Aksyonov	5 Jun 1980	9 Jun 1980	4 days	Crewed test flight[3]
Soyuz T-3	Salyut 6 EO-5: Leonid Kizim Oleg Makarov Gennady Strekalov	27 Nov 1980	10 Dec 1980	13 days	First Soyuz mission with a three cosmonaut crew since the fatal flight of Soyuz 11[4]
Soyuz T-4	Salyut 6 EO-6: Vladimir Kovalyonok Viktor Savinykh	12 Mar 1981	26 May 1981	75 days	[5]
Soyuz T-5	Salyut 7 EO-1: Anatoli Berezovoy Valentin Lebedev	13 May 1982	27 Aug 1982	106 days	Both Berezovoy and Lebedev returned to Earth aboard Soyuz T-7 after 211 days in space[6]
Soyuz T-6	Salyut 7 EP-1: Vladimir Dzhanibekov Aleksandr Ivanchenkov Jean-Loup Chrétien	24 Jun 1982	2 Jul 1982	8 days	Chrétien becomes the first French citizen in space[7]
Soyuz T-7	Salyut 7 EP-2: Leonid Popov Aleksandr Serebrov Svetlana Savitskaya	19 Aug 1982	10 Dec 1982	113 days	Savitskaya becomes the second woman in space after Valentina Tereshkova in 1963. All cosmonauts returned to Earth aboard Soyuz T-5 after 8 days in space[8]
Soyuz T-8	Vladimir Titov Gennady Strekalov Aleksandr Serebrov	20 Apr 1983	22 Apr 1983	2 days	Failed to reach Salyut 7 after its Igla docking system was damaged during launch[9]
Soyuz T-9	Salyut 7 EO-2: Vladimir Lyakhov Aleksandr Aleksandrov	27 Jun 1983	23 Nov 1983	149 days	[10]
Soyuz T-10-1	Vladimir Titov Gennadi Strekalov	26 Sept 1983		5 minutes and 13 seconds	Failed to reach Salyut 7 after its carrier rocket caught fire and exploded, thus activating its launch escape system[11]
Soyuz T-10	Salyut 7 EO-3: Leonid Kizim Vladimir Solovyov Oleg Atkov	8 Feb 1984	11 Apr 1984	63 days	All cosmonauts returned to Earth aboard Soyuz T-11 after 237 days in space[12]
Soyuz T-11	Salyut 7 EP-3: Yuri Malyshev Gennady Strekalov Rakesh Sharma	3 Apr 1984	2 Oct 1984	182 days	Sharma becomes first Indian citizen in space. All cosmonauts returned to Earth aboard Soyuz T-10 after 8 days in space[13]
Soyuz T-12	Salyut 7 EP-4: Vladimir Dzhanibekov Svetlana Savitskaya Igor Volk	17 Jul 1984	29 Jul 1984	12 days	[14]
Soyuz T-13	Salyut 7 EO-4a: Vladimir Dzhanibekov Viktor Savinykh	6 Jun 1985	26 Sept 1985	112 days	Repaired the crippled station during their stay. Savinykh returned to Earth aboard Soyuz T-14 after 168 days in space[15]
Soyuz T-14	Salyut 7 EO-4b: Vladimir Vasyutin Alexander Volkov Salyut 7 EP-5: Georgi Grechko	17 Sept 1985	21 Nov 1985	65 days	Grechko returned to Earth aboard Soyuz T-13 after 9 days in space. Mission ended prematurely after Vasyutin fell ill aboard the station[16]
Soyuz T-15	Salyut 7 EO-5 / Mir EO-1: Leonid Kizim Vladimir Solovyov	13 Mar 1986	16 Jul 1986	125 days	Visited both Salyut 7 and Mir, the only crewed spaceflight to visit two space stations simultaneously[17]

References

1. David S. F. Portree (1995). Mir Hardware Heritage (PDF). NASA. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2023.
2. Mark Wade. "Soyuz T". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
3. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-2". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
4. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-3". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
5. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-4". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
6. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-5". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
7. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-6". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
8. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-7". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
9. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-8". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
10. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-9". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
11. "Suborbital spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-10A". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
12. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-10". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
13. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-11". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
14. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-12". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
15. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-13". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
16. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-14". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
17. "Spaceflight mission report: Soyuz T-15". SPACEFACTS.de. Retrieved 5 June 2024.

External links

• RSC Energia: Concept Of Russian Manned Space Navigation Development