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Soyuz T-14 EO-4-c

Spacecraft

Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.

First manned operations in a second space station module. The three-man EO-4 TKS-3 crew conducted military experiments with the Cosmos-1686 module. Mission was cut short due to an incapacitating psychological condition developed by Vasyutin.

Soyuz T-14 transported a crew comprising ship's commander V V Vasyutin, flight engineer G M Grechko and cosmonaut-researcher A A Volkov to the Salyut-7 orbital station. Grechko returned aboard Soyuz T-13 after an inspection tour, leaving the three-man TKS-3 crew (Savinykh from Soyuz T-13, together with Vasyutin and Volkov) to conduct military experiments with the Cosmos-1686 module. However the mission was cut short due to an incapacitating psychological condition developed by Vasyutin.

Narrative (adapted from D S F Portree's Mir Hardware Heritage, NASA RP-1357, 1995)

Salyut 7 now having been brought to life and generating sufficient power for the military experiments, Soyuz T-14 now arrived at the station on September 17, 1985. It brought up the rest of the TKS-3 crew (Vasyutin and Volkov) together with senior cosmonaut Grechko. After Grechko had inspected the repairs and condition of the station, he and Dzhanibekov, from Soyuz T-13, returned to earth aboard Soyuz T-13 on 26 September.

This left the TKS-3 crew (Savinykh, Vasyutin, and Volkov) aboard to conduct the military experiments. Cosmos 1686 docked to the station on October 2, 1985. This was a modified TKS spacecraft with the military 'star wars' tracking experiments mounted in a stripped-down VA capsule. The crew was to conduct these experiments, and conduct spacewalks with application to future space stations. Cosmos 1686 contained 4500 kg of freight, including large items like a girder to be assembled outside Salyut 7, and the Kristallizator materials processing apparatus. However, the TKS-3 crew were unable to complete the long-delayed military mission. By late October Vasyutin was no longer helping with experiments because he was ill. On November 13 the cosmonauts began scrambling their communications with the TsUP. Return to Earth occurred on November 21.

More at: Soyuz T-14 EO-4-c.

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Spacecraft
Soyuz T

Chronology

4 events

1985 September 17

12:38 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U2.
  • Soyuz T-14 - . Call Sign: Cheget (Tcheget - mountain in the Caucasus). Crew: Grechko, Vasyutin, Volkov, Aleksandr. Backup Crew: Saley, Strekalov, Viktorenko. Payload: Soyuz T s/n 20L. Mass: 6,850 kg (15,100 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Program: Salyut 7. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz T-13 EO-4-a, Soyuz T-13 EO-4-b, Soyuz T-14 EO-4-c, Soyuz T-14 Salyut 7 EP-5. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz T. Duration: 64.91 days. Decay Date: 1985-11-21 . USAF Sat Cat: 16051 . COSPAR: 1985-081A. Apogee: 223 km (138 mi). Perigee: 196 km (121 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 88.70 min.

    Docked with Salyut 7. Transported a crew comprising ship's commander V V Vasyutin, flight engineer G M Grechko and cosmonaut-researcher A A Volkov to the Salyut-7 orbital station to conduct scientific and technical studies and experiments. Grechko returned in Soyuz T-13 on 25 September 1985 - emergency return.

1985 September 26

1985 September 27

08:41 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC200/39. LV Family: Proton. Launch Vehicle: Proton-K.
  • Cosmos 1686 - . Payload: TKS-M s/n 16501. Mass: 20,000 kg (44,000 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Program: Almaz. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz T-13 EO-4-a, Soyuz T-14 EO-4-c. Spacecraft: TKS . Duration: 1,958.80 days. Decay Date: 1991-02-07 . USAF Sat Cat: 16095 . COSPAR: 1985-086A. Apogee: 284 km (176 mi). Perigee: 280 km (170 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 90.20 min.

    Modification of cancelled TKS manned ferry; docked with Salyut 7. All landing systems were removed from the VA re-entry capsule and replaced with military optical sensor experiments (infrared telescope and Ozon spectrometer). Burned up in the atmosphere and together with the Salyut 7 station over Argentina on February 7, 1991 04:00 GMT. Re-entered with unused 3 m diameter recoverable capsule of 2-3,000 kg mass, solid rocket motors, and cesium sensors.
    Maneuver Summary:
    172 km X 302 km orbit to 284 km X 319 km orbit. Delta V: 36 m/s
    281 km X 315 km orbit to 290 km X 336 km orbit. Delta V: 8 m/s
    290 km X 336 km orbit to 335 km X 352 km orbit. Delta V: 16 m/s
    Maneuvers after docking with Salyut 7:
    336 km X 353 km orbit to 338 km X 358 km orbit. Delta V: 1 m/s
    338 km X 358 km orbit to 358 km X 359 km orbit. Delta V: 5 m/s
    331 km X 333 km orbit to 333 km X 385 km orbit. Delta V: 14 m/s
    333 km X 385 km orbit to 332 km X 468 km orbit. Delta V: 23 m/s
    332 km X 468 km orbit to 466 km X 468 km orbit. Delta V: 37 m/s
    466 km X 468 km orbit to 470 km X 475 km orbit. Delta V: 2 m/s
    470 km X 475 km orbit to 475 km X 475 km orbit. Delta V: 1 m/s
    Total Delta V: 143 m/s
    Officially: Testing the equipment, assemblies and design components of a satellite in various modes of flight, including joint flight with the Salyut-7 station.

1985 November 21