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Soyuz T-13
(Salyut 7, PE-4)

        Vladimir Dzhanibekov [5], Commander
        Viktor Savinykh [2], Flight Engineer
        Vladimir Dzhanibekov
        Georgi Grechko (Soyuz T-14)

Backup Crew:
    Leonid Popov
    Aleksandr Aleksandrov

    Location: Baikonur
    Date: 6 June 1985
    Time: 06:39:52 UTC

    Date: 26 September 1985
    Time: 09:51:58 UTC
    Location: 49° 0' N, 70° 0' E

    fore unit of Salyut 7, 8 June 1985 08:50 UTC - 25 September 1985 03:38 UTC

Duration: 112 days, 3 hours, 12 minutes, 6 seconds

Call Sign: Pamir (Pamirs)

This crew worked aboard the Salyut 7 space station. In February 1985, Salyut 7 had suddenly stopped communicating with ground control. On 2 March 1985 there was an announcement that Salyut had been deactivated. The was a mission to repair the inert station. After a fly around and manual hard dock, the crew determined the station's electrical system was dead. They sampled the station air before entering and found it cold but breathable. Frost covered the walls and equipment. The crew then tracked down the problem, recharged the batteries, used the Soyuz to get the solar arrays oriented properly, and get the heaters turned on. They repaired the air regeneration system and got the attitude control back on line. The water tanks didn't thaw until the end of June and it was the end of July before normal atmospheric humidity was achieved. The freeze had destroyed the water heater and the cosmonauts had to use a powerful television lamp to heat liquids. Supplies, including three new batteries, a new water heater, and other replacement parts arrived on a Progress freighter. This turned out to be one of the most impressive in-space repair jobs in history.


Page last modified: 09 September 2015 19:05:53.