Soyuz 7K-T
Korolev | |
Country of origin | Soviet Union |
---|---|
Operator | Soviet space program |
Applications | Carry two cosmonauts to orbit and back |
Specifications | |
Regime | Low Earth orbit |
Production | |
Status | Out of service |
Launched | 30 |
Maiden launch | Kosmos 496, 1972 |
Last launch | Soyuz 40, 1981 |
Related spacecraft | |
Derived from | Soyuz 7K-OKS |
Derivatives | Soyuz 7K-TM (ASTP) Soyuz-T (successor) |
The second generation of the
Two test flights of the 7K-T were conducted prior to committing the redesigned Soyuz to a crewed mission. Kosmos 496 was launched on 26 June 1972 and spent a week in space, part of it in powered-down mode. Then on 2 September 1972, an attempted launch of a Zenit reconnaissance satellite failed to orbit due to a malfunction of the vernier engines on the Blok A stage. The existing stock of Soyuz boosters had to be modified to prevent a recurrence of this failure mode on a crewed mission, which delayed the next test until almost a year later when Kosmos 573 launched on 15 June 1973 and spent two days in space. With this done, the way was cleared for the first crewed test, Soyuz 12, in September 1972.
In addition, the standalone flights of
Another modification was the Soyuz 7K-T/A9 used for the flights to the military Almaz space station. This featured the ability to remote control the space station and a new parachute system and other still classified and unknown changes.
Missions
- Soyuz 12
- Soyuz 13
- Soyuz 14
- Soyuz 15
- Soyuz 17
- Soyuz 18
- Soyuz 21
- Soyuz 23
- Soyuz 24
- Soyuz 25
- Soyuz 26
- Soyuz 27
- Soyuz 28
- Soyuz 29
- Soyuz 30
- Soyuz 31
- Soyuz 32
- Soyuz 33
- Soyuz 34
- Soyuz 35
- Soyuz 36
- Soyuz 37
- Soyuz 38
- Soyuz 39
- Soyuz 40
- Soyuz 41
Uncrewed tests
- Cosmos 496
- Cosmos 573
- Cosmos 613
- Cosmos 656
- Soyuz 20
External links
- Mir Hardware Heritage
- David S.F. Portree, Mir Hardware Heritage, NASA RP-1357, 1995
- Mir Hardware Heritage (wikisource)
- Soyuz 7K-T in Encyclopedia Astronautica
- NASA - Russian Soyuz TMA Spacecraft Details
- Space Adventures circum-lunar mission - details