Soyuz T-2
Encyclopedia
Soyuz T-2 was a 1980 Soviet manned space flight to the Salyut 6
space station
. It was the 12th mission to and 10th successful docking at the orbiting facility. The Soyuz T-2 crew were the second to visit the long-duration Soyuz 35
resident crew.
Soyuz T-2 carried Yuri Malyshev
and Vladimir Aksyonov
into space. A mission lasting under four days, its primary purpose was to perform a manned test of the new Soyuz-T
spacecraft.
Intercosmos
crew departed Salyut 6 on 3 June 1980 and the remaining resident crew
almost immediately redocked the Soyuz craft left behind, observers speculated the secretive Soviets were possibly planning a second Intercosmos mission. The failure of Soyuz 33
the year before had forced the Soviets to juggle their launch schedule.
A launch indeed was soon in the offing, but not the predicted mission. Soyuz T-2 was launched 5 June with Yuri Malyshev
and Vladimir Aksyonov
on what turned out to be the first manned mission of the new Soyuz T variant. The craft had new engine systems and could launch three cosmonauts. Additionally, the Soyuz was equipped with a new Argon computer which controlled docking and reentry procedures.
As the craft approached Salyut 6, solar cells, re-introduced to the Soyuz, were tested. The approach was completed automatically, while the final 180 metres were achieved manually on 6 June. The Argon docking computer had failed, leaving the craft perpendicular to the station. The computer failure was later explained as being caused by the crew and controllers failing to have practiced the particular approach the computer chose. The crew had therefore chose to dock manually to be safe; the computer would have successfully docked if allowed to, said the Soviets. However, failures during the automatic approach was a recurring problem in future Soyuz T missions.
During their short stay, Malyshev and Aksyonov seemed to have carried out a minimum of experiments, including participating in some medical tests and using the Salyut's MKF-6M camera. They undocked in the craft they arrived on only two days after first greeting the resident crew. As they left, the Salyut turned around and the Soyuz T-2 crew photographed and visually inspected the space station. The Soyuz then departed and landed about three hours later.
Salyut 6
Salyut 6 , DOS-5, was a Soviet orbital space station, the eighth flown as part of the Salyut programme. Launched on 29 September 1977 by a Proton rocket, the station was the first of the 'second-generation' type of space station. Salyut 6 possessed several revolutionary advances over the earlier...
space station
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...
. It was the 12th mission to and 10th successful docking at the orbiting facility. The Soyuz T-2 crew were the second to visit the long-duration Soyuz 35
Soyuz 35
-Backup crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 51.65°*Period: 88.81 minutes-Crew launch, station activation:...
resident crew.
Soyuz T-2 carried Yuri Malyshev
Yuri Malyshev
Yury Vasilyevich Malyshev was born in the village Nikolayevsk, Stalingrad Oblast , USSR on August 27, 1941. Studied in Taganrog's high school N24, 1949-1959. Married with two children. Selected as a cosmonaut on May 7, 1967. Retired on July 20, 1988...
and Vladimir Aksyonov
Vladimir Aksyonov
Vladimir Viktorovich Aksyonov is a Soviet cosmonaut, married with two children....
into space. A mission lasting under four days, its primary purpose was to perform a manned test of the new Soyuz-T
Soyuz-T
The Soyuz-T spacecraft was the third generation Soyuz spacecraft, in service for seven years from 1979 to 1986. The T stood for transport...
spacecraft.
Crew
Backup crew
Mission highlights
When the visiting Soyuz 36Soyuz 36
-Backup crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 51.62°*Period: 89.0 minutes-Mission highlights:...
Intercosmos
Intercosmos
Interkosmos was a space program of the Soviet Union designed to include members of military forces of allied Warsaw Pact countries in manned and unmanned missions...
crew departed Salyut 6 on 3 June 1980 and the remaining resident crew
Soyuz 35
-Backup crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 51.65°*Period: 88.81 minutes-Crew launch, station activation:...
almost immediately redocked the Soyuz craft left behind, observers speculated the secretive Soviets were possibly planning a second Intercosmos mission. The failure of Soyuz 33
Soyuz 33
-Backup crew:-Mission parameters:*Mass: *Perigee: *Apogee: *Inclination: 51.63°*Period: 88.99 minutes-Mission highlights:...
the year before had forced the Soviets to juggle their launch schedule.
A launch indeed was soon in the offing, but not the predicted mission. Soyuz T-2 was launched 5 June with Yuri Malyshev
Yuri Malyshev
Yury Vasilyevich Malyshev was born in the village Nikolayevsk, Stalingrad Oblast , USSR on August 27, 1941. Studied in Taganrog's high school N24, 1949-1959. Married with two children. Selected as a cosmonaut on May 7, 1967. Retired on July 20, 1988...
and Vladimir Aksyonov
Vladimir Aksyonov
Vladimir Viktorovich Aksyonov is a Soviet cosmonaut, married with two children....
on what turned out to be the first manned mission of the new Soyuz T variant. The craft had new engine systems and could launch three cosmonauts. Additionally, the Soyuz was equipped with a new Argon computer which controlled docking and reentry procedures.
As the craft approached Salyut 6, solar cells, re-introduced to the Soyuz, were tested. The approach was completed automatically, while the final 180 metres were achieved manually on 6 June. The Argon docking computer had failed, leaving the craft perpendicular to the station. The computer failure was later explained as being caused by the crew and controllers failing to have practiced the particular approach the computer chose. The crew had therefore chose to dock manually to be safe; the computer would have successfully docked if allowed to, said the Soviets. However, failures during the automatic approach was a recurring problem in future Soyuz T missions.
During their short stay, Malyshev and Aksyonov seemed to have carried out a minimum of experiments, including participating in some medical tests and using the Salyut's MKF-6M camera. They undocked in the craft they arrived on only two days after first greeting the resident crew. As they left, the Salyut turned around and the Soyuz T-2 crew photographed and visually inspected the space station. The Soyuz then departed and landed about three hours later.