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Soyuz TM-6

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

Soyuz TM-6
Soyuz TM-6
Polyakov and Mohmand move equipment around Mir.
Credit: RKK Energia

First Afghani astronaut. Mission to swap Soyuz lifeboats docked to station.

Cosmonauts V A Lyakhov, V V Polyakov and A A Mohmand (Afghanistan) were a Soviet-Afghan crew transported to the Mir orbital station together with cosmonaut V V Polyakov to conduct joint research and experiments with the cosmonauts V G Titov and M K Manarov. The Soyuz was placed in an initial orbit of 195 X 228 km at 51. 57 deg. It then maneuvered to a 235 x 259 km orbit, then docked with Mir at 05:41 GMT on 31 August at its 339 x 366 km orbit. Lyakhov and Mohmand left their fresh spacecraft docked to Mir as a lifeboat and returned aboard Soyuz TM-5. They undocked at 22:55 GMT 5 September however the planned landing at 02:15 September 6 1988 failed due to confusion of infrared horizon sensors. Finally Lyakhov and Afghani cosmonaut Mohmand returned safely to Earth and landed September 7, 1988 00:50 GMT, 160 km SE Dzhezkazgan.

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

Soyuz TM-6 arrived on August 31, 1988. Its crew had a unique makeup, with a commander (Vladimir Lyakhov) who had been trained to fly a Soyuz TM-solo in the event a rescue ship needed to be sent to recover two cosmonauts from Mir, no flight engineer, and two inexperienced cosmonaut-researchers. One was Dr. Valeri Polyakov, who would remain aboard Mir with Titov and Manarov to monitor their health during the final months of their planned year-long stay. The other was Intercosmos cosmonaut Abdul Ahad Mohmand, from Afghanistan. Mohmand's experiment program was dominated by a series of observations of Afghanistan, called Shamshad. Lyakhov and Mohmand left their fresh spacecraft docked to Mir as a lifeboat and returned aboard Soyuz TM-5. They undocked at 22:55 GMT 5 September and jettisoned the Soyuz TM Orbital Module at 23:35 GMT. However the planned landing at 02:15 September 6 1988 failed due to confusion of infrared horizon sensors. A repeat retrofire attempt one orbit later resulted in a partial burn only. The crew had to spend a tense 24 hours in the cramped Descent Module (the Orbital Module having already been jettisoned before the retrofire burn) before making last chance deorbit. Finally Lyakhov and Afghani cosmonaut Mohmand returned safely to Earth and landed September 7, 1988 00:50 GMT, 160 km SE Dzhezkazgan.

More at: Soyuz TM-6.

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Chronology

2 events

1988 August 29

04:23 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz-U2.
  • Soyuz TM-6 - . Call Sign: Proton (Proton ). Crew: Lyakhov, Mohmand, Polyakov. Backup Crew: Arzamazov, Berezovoi, Masum. Payload: Soyuz TM s/n 56. Mass: 7,070 kg (15,580 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Program: Mir. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TM-4, Soyuz TM-6, Soyuz TM-6 Mir LD-2. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz TM. Duration: 114.23 days. Decay Date: 1988-12-21 . USAF Sat Cat: 19443 . COSPAR: 1988-075A. Apogee: 228 km (141 mi). Perigee: 195 km (121 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 88.70 min.

    Transported to the Mir orbital station a Soviet-Afghan crew comprising the cosmonauts V A Lyakhov, V V Polyakov and A A Momand (Afghanistan) to conduct joint research and experiments with the cosmonauts V G Titov and M K Manarov. Returned Manarov, Titov (Soyuz TM-4), Chretien (Soyuz TM-7) to Earth. Initial orbit 195 X 228 km at 51. 57 deg. Maneuvered to a 235 x 259 km orbit, then docked with Mir at 05:41 GMT on 31 August at its 339 x 366 km orbit. Moved from aft to forward port 8 Sept 88.

1988 September 7

  • Landing of Soyuz TM-5 - . Return Crew: Lyakhov, Mohmand. Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Lyakhov, Mohmand. Program: Mir. Flight: Soyuz TM-4, Soyuz TM-6, Soyuz TM-6 Mir LD-2.

    Undocked 22:55 GMT 5 September. Jettisoned Orbital Module 23:35 GMT 5 September. Planned landing 02:15 September 6 1988 failed due to confusion of infrared horizon sensors. Repeat retrofire attempt one orbit later resulted in a partial burn only. The crew had to spend a tense 24 hours in the cramped Descent Module (the Orbital Module having already been jettisoned before the retrofire burn) before making last chance deorbit. Finally Lyakhov and Afghani cosmonaut Mohmand (Soyuz TM-6) returned safely to Earth and landed September 7, 1988 00:50 GMT, 160 km SE Dzhezkazgan.