Soyuz TM-2
Soyuz TM-2 was the spacecraft used to launch a long duration crew to the Soviet space station Mir, which was uncrewed at the time. TM-2 was launched in February 1987, and it was first crewed spaceflight of the Soyuz-TM spacecraft,[3] and the second crewed spaceflight to Mir (the first being Soyuz T-15). The crew of the long duration expedition, Mir EO-2, who were launched by TM-2 consisted of Soviet cosmonauts Yuri Romanenko and Aleksandr Laveykin.
COSPAR ID | 1987-013A |
---|---|
SATCAT no. | 17482 |
Mission duration | 174 days, 3 hours, 25 minutes, 56 seconds |
Orbits completed | ~2,810 |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | Soyuz-TM |
Manufacturer | NPO Energia |
Launch mass | 7,100 kilograms (15,700 lb) |
Crew | |
Crew size | 2 up 3 down |
Members | Aleksandr Laveykin |
Launching | Yuri Romanenko |
Landing | Aleksandr Viktorenko Muhammed Faris |
Callsign | Taimyr |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 5 February 1987, 21:38:16 UTC[1] |
Rocket | Soyuz-U2 |
Launch site | Baikonur 1/5 |
End of mission | |
Landing date | 30 July 1987, 01:04:12 UTC[2] |
Landing site | 80 kilometres (50 mi) from Arkalyk |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
Perigee altitude | 341 kilometres (212 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 365 kilometres (227 mi) |
Inclination | 51.6 degrees |
Period | 91.6 minutes |
Docking with Mir | |
Soyuz programme (Crewed missions) |
The spacecraft remained docked to Mir, functioning as a lifeboat for the EO-2 crew, until July 1987 when it returned to Earth carrying Laveykin and the two man crew of Mir EP-1. Romanenko later returned to Earth in Soyuz TM-3 at the end of EO-2.
Crew
Position | Launching crew | Landing crew |
---|---|---|
Commander | Yuri Romanenko Mir EO-2 Third and last spaceflight |
Aleksandr Viktorenko Mir EP-1 First spaceflight |
Flight Engineer | Aleksandr Laveykin Mir EO-2 Only spaceflight | |
Research Cosmonaut | None | Muhammed Faris Mir EP-1 Only spaceflight |
Mission parameters
- Mass: 7100 kg
- Perigee: 341 km
- Apogee: 365 km
- Inclination: 51.6°
- Period: 91.6 minutes
Mission highlights
Early in the expedition EO-2, the module Kvant-1 was launched to automatically dock with Mir. The docking system, known as the "Igla system", was not behaving as expected. On April 5 the EO-2 crew retreated to the Soyuz TM-2 spacecraft so that they could escape in the event the module got out of control. About 200 m out, the docking system lost its lock on Mir's aft port antenna. The cosmonauts watched from within Soyuz TM-2 as the Kvant/ FSM combination passed within 10 m of the station.[1] Following an emergency spacewalk, Kvant fully docked to the station on April 11.
References
- "Mir EO-2". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 9 April 2007. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- "Mir EP-1". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
- "Soyuz TM". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 11 November 2010.