Sarafanov Credit: www.spacefacts.de |
Status: Deceased; Active 1965-1986. Born: 1942. Died: 2005-09-29. Spaceflights: 1 . Total time in space: 2.01 days. Birth Place: Sinen'kie, Saratov.
Graduated from Balashov Military Pilot School, 1964. Graduated from Gagarin Military Air Force Academy, Monino,1978. Cosmonaut training November 1965 - December 1967. Withdrawn from cosmonaut team for medical reasons. Call sign: Duna (Danube). Senior Instructor, PO Automation, Science and Technology, Moscow. Died as a result of complications from surgery.
Although Kamanin desired 40 new cosmonaut-trainees, in the end only 17 were selected. They were:
On 4 July Soyuz 14 docked with the Salyut 3 space station after 15 revolutions of the earth. The planned experimental program included manned military reconnaissance of the earth's surface, assessing the fundamental value of such observations, and some supplemental medico-biological research. After the crew's return research continued in the development of the on-board systems and the principles of remote control of such a station.
Soyuz 15 was to conduct the second phase of manned operations aboard the Salyut 3 military space station, but the Igla rendezvous system failed and no docking was made. The two day flight could only be characterised as '... research in manoeuvring and docking with the OPS in various modes, and development of methods for evacuation and landing from space complex in new conditions....'
As Chelomei had complained, Soyuz had no reserves or backup systems for repeated manual docking attempts and had to be recovered after a two-day flight. The state commission found that the Igla docking system of the Soyuz needed serious modification. This could not be completed before Salyut 3 decayed. Therefore the planned Soyuz 16 spacecraft became excess to the program (it was later flown as Soyuz 20 to a civilian Salyut station, even though over its two year rated storage life).
Officially: Conduct of joint experiments with the Salyut-3 orbital scientific station.
Planned second manned flight of TKS ferry to the Salyut 7 space station. The crews were assigned in September/October 1979. But in December 1981 Ustinov killed Chelomei's plans for manned TKS flights. The TKS training group was dissolved and TKS-3 flew unmanned to Salyut 7 as Cosmos 1686.