Kosmos 1669

Kosmos-1669 (Russian: Космос-1669) was a Progress spacecraft used to resupply the Salyut 7 space station. It was a Progress 7K-TG spacecraft with the serial number 126.

Kosmos 1669
Mission typeSalyut 7 resupply
OperatorOKB-1
COSPAR ID1985-062A
SATCAT no.15918
Mission duration42 days
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftProgress s/n 126
Spacecraft typeProgress 7K-TG
ManufacturerNPO Energia
Launch mass7280 kg
Dry mass7020 kg
Payload mass2500 kg
Dimensions7.48 m in length and
2.72 m in diameter
Start of mission
Launch date19 July 1985, 13:05 UTC
RocketSoyuz-U s/n B15000-446
Launch siteBaikonur 1/5
ContractorOKB-1
End of mission
DisposalDeorbited
Decay date30 August 1985, 01:20 UTC
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude298 km
Apogee altitude358 km
Inclination51.66°
Period91.0 minutes
Epoch19 July 1985
Docking with Salyut 7
Docking portAft
Docking date21 July 1985, 15:05 UTC
Undocking date28 August 1985, 21:50 UTC
Time docked38 days
Cargo
Mass2500 kg
 

Mission

Kosmos-1669 was launched by a Soyuz-U carrier rocket from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, at 13:05 UTC on 19 July 1985. The spacecraft docked with the aft port of Salyut 7 at 15:05 UTC on 21 July 1985. Following undocking on 28 August 1985, it moved away from the station, before returning and redocking to test the reliability of the docking system.[1] It undocked for a second time at 21:50 UTC,[2] and was deorbited on 30 August 1985, with the spacecraft burning up over the Pacific Ocean at 01:20 UTC.

Salyut-7

Kosmos-1669 was the second cargo spacecraft (after Progress 24) to visit Salyut 7 after its reactivation, and also the last Progress flight as part of the Salyut programme. It delivered new spacesuit, to replace ones damaged by cold temperatures whilst Salyut 7 was deactivated,[3] as well as replacement parts and consumables. This Progress mission was followed by one last cargo mission to Salyut 7, but carried out by an TKS spacecraft: TKS-4, which would become the fourth and last flight of an TKS spacecraft. The next following mission of a Progress cargo spacecraft, Progress 25, flew to Mir.[1]

As of 2009, Kosmos-1669 is the only Progress spacecraft to have received a Kosmos designation, which are usually reserved for military, experimental and failed spacecraft. It has been reported that this may have been an error due to confusion with a TKS spacecraft which later became Kosmos 1686,[4] or that the spacecraft may have gone out of control shortly after launch, but then been recovered after the Kosmos designation had been applied.[1] Alternatively, it could have been given the designation as it was used to test modifications that would be used on future Progress missions.[3] Some news agencies reported that it was a free-flying Progress-derived spacecraft,[3] or that it was a new type of spacecraft derived from the Progress.[5]

See also

References

  1. Wade, Mark. "Progress". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  2. Christy, Robert. "Third Expedition to Salyut 7 - 1984". Zarya. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  3. Portree, David S. F (March 1995). "Mir Hardware Heritage". NASA. Retrieved 11 April 2009. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. Christy, Robert. "Fourth Expedition to Salyut 7 - 1985". Zarya. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
  5. "New Soviet Craft Docks With Salyut". New York Times. 23 July 1985. Retrieved 11 April 2009.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.