Soyuz 10
Encyclopedia
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.
, featuring a new docking
system, successfully brought cosmonauts Vladimir Shatalov
, Aleksei Yeliseyev
, and Nikolai Rukavishnikov
to the station, they could not dock with it. While the Soyuz physically locked onto Salyut, the connection was not secure enough for the cosmonauts to enter the station safely.
It appeared that the hatch inside the Soyuz was jammed. This led the Soyuz having difficulty detaching from the station when the mission was called off. One last hitch presented itself upon re-entry when the capsule became filled with toxic fumes, causing Rukavishnikov to pass out.
All three crew members recovered from the ordeal unscathed.
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...
, Salyut 1
Salyut 1
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...
. The docking was not successful and the crew returned to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
without having entered the station.
Mission highlights
Soyuz 10 was launched 23 April 1971. Although the upgraded Soyuz 7K-OKSSoyuz 7K-OKS
Soyuz 7K-OKS version of the Soyuz spacecraft was designed for space station flights and had a docking port that allowed internal transfer between spacecraft. It flew only twice manned in 1971...
, featuring a new docking
Spacecraft docking and berthing mechanism
Spacecraft docking and berthing mechanisms are used to join two spacecraft. Docking specifically refers to the joining or coming together of two separate free flying space vehicles....
system, successfully brought cosmonauts 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...
to the station, they could not dock with it. While the Soyuz physically locked onto Salyut, the connection was not secure enough for the cosmonauts to enter the station safely.
It appeared that the hatch inside the Soyuz was jammed. This led the Soyuz having difficulty detaching from the station when the mission was called off. One last hitch presented itself upon re-entry when the capsule became filled with toxic fumes, causing Rukavishnikov to pass out.
All three crew members recovered from the ordeal unscathed.
Crew
Backup crew
Reserve crew
Mission parameters
- Mass: 6800 kg (14,991.4 lb)
- Perigee: 209 km (129.9 mi)
- Apogee: 258 km (160.3 mi)
- Inclination: 51.6°
- Period: 89.1 min