2.6 Salyut 5/Almaz 3 (June 22, 1976-August 8, 1977)
Salyut 5 was the third Almaz station.
Like Salyut 3/Almaz 2 (figure 2-7),
which it closely resembled, its aims
were primarily military.
2.6.1 Salyut 5 Specifications
- Length .................................................... 14.55 m
- Maximum diameter .................................. 4.15 m
- Habitable volume ..................................... 100 m3
- Weight at launch ..................................... 19,000 kg
- Launch vehicle ......................................... Proton (three-stage)
- Orbital inclination ..................................... 51.6°
- Number of solar arrays ............................. 2
- Resupply carriers ..................................... Soyuz Ferry
- Number of docking ports .......................... 1
- Total manned missions ............................ 3
- Total long-duration missions ..................... 2
2.6.2. Salyut 5 Notable Features
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planned hydroelectric facilities; study formation of storms; and spot forest fires.[1] These activities were in addition to the station’s primary Earth-observation objectives, which were military. |
2.6.3 Salyut 5 Career
Entries below describe Salyut 5 operations during Soyuz missions to the station. For more information on the Soyuz missions, see section 1.8.4.4 Dates are hard dock to undock; if no hard dock achieved, launch to landing.
Soyuz 21 | July 7-August 24, 1976 | |
Boris Volynov, Vitali Zholobov Crew code name—Baykal The Salyut 5 crew’s stay coincided with the start of the Siber military exercise in Siberia. The cosmonauts observed the exercise as part of an assessment of the station’s military surveillance capabilities. They conducted only a few scientific experiments–these included first use of the Kristall furnace for crystal growth. Engineering experiments included propellant transfer system tests with implications for future Progress freighter operations. The Soyuz 21 crew seems to have left the station suddenly, ahead of their scheduled departure date. This has been attributed to a fire, an environmental control system |
- ↑ Johnson, 1980, pp. 249-250.