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Salyut 6: A New Space Station Era
By Anatoly Zak
Staff Writer
posted: 05:49 pm ET
30 March 2000
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Salyut-6: the new era in space station constructionOn September 29, 1977, the Salyut 6 space station successfully reached orbit around Earth, making it the sixth such effort to precede the Soviet's Mir space station. Although it resembled its Salyut (or military Almaz space station) predecessors, the spacecraft was a revolution in space station technology. First, the station sported a second docking port in the rear which allowed two spacecraft to dock to the station. What's more, the rear docking port allowed an unmanned version of the Soyuz spacecraft, known as the Progress cargo ship, to refuel the station's propellant tanks. The Progress ship also would carry food and supplies to the station, considerably prolonging crew stays. And the cargo ship's own engines could be used to boost the station's orbit. These upgrades had an immediate effect on space station operations. From 1977 until 1982, Salyut 6 was visited by five long-duration crews. In addition, it hosted 11 shorter-term crews, including cosmonauts from Warsaw Pact countries. The very first long-duration crew on Salyut 6 broke a record set onboard Skylab, staying 96 days in orbit. The longest flight onboard Salyut 6 lasted 185 days. The fourth Salyut 6 expedition deployed a 10-meter radio-telescope antenna delivered by a cargo ship. When it was discarded at the end of the mission and stacked on the external surface of the station, the crew conducted a spacewalk to remove the device. After Salyut 6 manned operations were discontinued in 1981, a heavy unmanned spacecraft --called TKS and developed using hardware left from the canceled Almaz program -- was docked to the station as a hardware test. This architecture would be used on the Mir spacecraft years later.
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