Mir EO-2
Encyclopedia
Mir EO-2 was the second long duration expedition to the Soviet space station
Mir
, and it lasted from February to December 1987. The mission was divided into two parts (sometimes called (a) and (b)), the division occurring when one of the two crew members, Aleksandr Laveykin
, was replaced part way through the mission by Aleksandr Aleksandrov
. Laveykin was replaced because ground-based doctors had diagnosed him with minor heart problems.
or Mir
had been launched into orbit on 19 February 1986. It had been visited twice by the crew of Soyuz T-15
, between March and July 1986, who transferred equipment from the previous Soviet space station Salyut 7
. Prior to the arrival of EO-2, Mir was also visited by three Progress spacecraft, numbered 25, 26, and 27, as well as an unmanned Soyuz-TM
spacecraft, designated TM-1
. From July 1986 to the arrival of EO-2 in February, Mir remained unmanned. During this time an associated relay satellite ceased operation, and computers on Mir were malfunctioning.
Progress 27 docked with the station on 18 January, and was still there when the EO-2 crew arrived. On 26 January, the Progress spacecraft boosted the station's mean altitude by 16 km to 345 km.
, and Flight Engineer Aleksandr Laveykin. From July to December 1987 the crew consisted of Romanenko and Aleksandr Aleksandrov
.
EO-2 was originally planned to consist of Aleksandr Serebrov
and Vladimir Titov
, but shortly before launch of Soyuz TM-2
to start the expedition, the crew was changed to Romanenko and Laveykin, possibly due to illness. Titov and Serebrov were listed as the backup crew for the mission.
was broadcast live on TV; it was a night launch which occurred at about 1:30am local time. It was the first manned launch of the new Soyuz-TM
spacecraft.
On 30 March 1987, the module Kvant-1
was launched; it was the second module of the space station Mir, and would add 40 m3 of pressurized volume to Mir, bringing the total to about 130 m3. Attached to Kvant-1 was a Functional Service Module (FSM), which contained propellants, and was used to direct the module to Mir. At launch, the Kvant module had a mass of 11 tonne
s, and the FSM had a mass of 9.6 tonnes. At the time, this was the heaviest payload to be launched by a Proton rocket. The automatic docking system was unable to dock the module completely with Mir on the first attempt. On April 5, the crew of EO-2 retreated to their lifeboat, Soyuz TM-2
, in case the module lost control.
The module drifted 400 km from the station before it was guided back of a second docking attempt, and on April 9 a partial docking between Kvant and Mir occurred.
To determine the problem with the Kvant docking, both Romanenko and Laveykin took part in an emergency spacewalk
on April 11. On the spacewalk they discovered some debris, probably a trash bag, was preventing the spacecraft from fully docking. The spacewalk lasted 3 hours and 40 minues. With the problem fixed, on April 11 Kvant achieve a complete docking to Mir. The next day the FSM was undocked from Kvant, as it was no longer needed, and it was placed in a parking orbit 41 km above Mir; over a year later it underwent uncontrolled reentry
.
During June the EO-2 crew performed two spacewalks
(EVAs) to install a new set of solar arrays, which would boost the electrical capacity of the station to 11.4 kW.
. The three man crew launched by TM-3 included the first Syria
n astronaut, Muhammed Faris
. The crew had originally been scheduled to visit Salyut 7
in 1985, but it was reassigned to Mir. On July 24, the spacecraft automatically docked to the Kvant-1 port, but they had to use a lever to break the hatch's seal. Shortly after the new arrivals floated into the station, it was publicly announced that Aleksandr Aleksandrov
would replace Aleksandr Laveykin
as one of the EO-2 long term crew members, and Laveykin would return to Earth a week later with the EP-1 crew.
The desire to have favourable daylight conditions during passes over Syria was the primary motivation for the timing of the mission. Several experiments were conducted with Faris onboard, and Syria was observed from space.
On July 29, Soyuz TM-2
undocked from the station, and carried Faris, Viktorenko, and Laveykin. Once on the ground, Laveykin was flown to Moscow to be examined by heart specialists. They determined that he was fit to fly after all.
docked with Mir, via the rear port of Kvant, on 23 December. It brought to the station Vladimir Titov
and Musa Manarov of the next long-duration expedition EO-3
. Also brought to the station was potential Buran space shuttle pilot, Anatoli Levchenko
, who returned to Earth with the EO-2 crew. Levchenko's spaceflight, which lasted for the duration of the EO-2/EO-3 crew handover, is known as Mir LII-1.
Space station
A space station is a spacecraft capable of supporting a crew which is designed to remain in space for an extended period of time, and to which other spacecraft can dock. A space station is distinguished from other spacecraft used for human spaceflight by its lack of major propulsion or landing...
Mir
Mir
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the...
, and it lasted from February to December 1987. The mission was divided into two parts (sometimes called (a) and (b)), the division occurring when one of the two crew members, Aleksandr Laveykin
Aleksandr Laveykin
Aleksandr Ivanovich Laveykin was a Soviet cosmonaut.Born in Moscow, Laveykin was selected as a cosmonaut on December 1, 1978. He flew on one spaceflight, for the first part of the long duration expedition Mir EO-2. He flew as Flight Engineer, and was both launched and landed with the spacecraft...
, was replaced part way through the mission by Aleksandr Aleksandrov
Aleksandr Pavlovich Aleksandrov
Aleksandr Pavlovich Aleksandrov , born February 20, 1943) is a former Soviet cosmonaut and twice Hero of the Soviet Union ....
. Laveykin was replaced because ground-based doctors had diagnosed him with minor heart problems.
Background
The core moduleMir Core Module
Mir , DOS-7, was the first module of the Soviet/Russian Mir space station complex, in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001. Generally referred to as either the core module or base block, the module was launched on 20 February 1986 on a Proton-K rocket from LC-200/39 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome...
or Mir
Mir
Mir was a space station operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, at first by the Soviet Union and then by Russia. Assembled in orbit from 1986 to 1996, Mir was the first modular space station and had a greater mass than that of any previous spacecraft, holding the record for the...
had been launched into orbit on 19 February 1986. It had been visited twice by the crew of Soyuz T-15
Soyuz T-15
- Backup crew :- Mission parameters :* Mass: 6850 kg* Perigee: 331 km* Apogee: 366 km* Inclination: 51.6°* Period: 91.5 minutes- Mission highlights :Soyuz T-15 was the first expedition to Mir....
, between March and July 1986, who transferred equipment from the previous Soviet space station Salyut 7
Salyut 7
Salyut 7 was a space station in low Earth orbit from April 1982 to February 1991. It was first manned in May 1982 with two crew via Soyuz T-5, and last visited in June 1986, by Soyuz T-15. Various crew and modules were used over its lifetime, including a total of 12 manned and 15 unmanned launches...
. Prior to the arrival of EO-2, Mir was also visited by three Progress spacecraft, numbered 25, 26, and 27, as well as an unmanned Soyuz-TM
Soyuz-TM
The Soyuz-TM crew transports were fourth generation Soyuz spacecraft used for ferry flights to the Mir and ISS space stations...
spacecraft, designated TM-1
Soyuz TM-1
Soyuz TM-1 was an unmanned test flight of the Soyuz-TM spacecraft, intended for use in the Mir space station program. This was the maiden flight of the Soyuz-TM spacecraft, intended as the successor to the Soyuz-T spacecraft used in the Salyut program....
. From July 1986 to the arrival of EO-2 in February, Mir remained unmanned. During this time an associated relay satellite ceased operation, and computers on Mir were malfunctioning.
Progress 27 docked with the station on 18 January, and was still there when the EO-2 crew arrived. On 26 January, the Progress spacecraft boosted the station's mean altitude by 16 km to 345 km.
Crew
The crew from February to July 1987, consisted of Commander Yuri RomanenkoYuri Romanenko
Yury Viktorovich Romanenko is a former Soviet cosmonaut, twice Hero of the Soviet Union . Over his career, Yury Romanenko spent a total of 430 days 20 hours 21 minutes 30 seconds in space and 18 hours in space walks. In 1987 he was a resident of the Mir space station, launching on Soyuz TM-2 and...
, and Flight Engineer Aleksandr Laveykin. From July to December 1987 the crew consisted of Romanenko and Aleksandr Aleksandrov
Aleksandr Pavlovich Aleksandrov
Aleksandr Pavlovich Aleksandrov , born February 20, 1943) is a former Soviet cosmonaut and twice Hero of the Soviet Union ....
.
| Mir EO-2 | Name | Spaceflight | Launch | Landing | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight Engineer |  Aleksandr LaveykinAleksandr Laveykin Aleksandr Ivanovich Laveykin was a Soviet cosmonaut.Born in Moscow, Laveykin was selected as a cosmonaut on December 1, 1978. He flew on one spaceflight, for the first part of the long duration expedition Mir EO-2. He flew as Flight Engineer, and was both launched and landed with the spacecraft... |
First | 5 February 1987 Soyuz TM-2 Soyuz TM-2 -Mission parameters:*Mass: 7100 kg*Perigee: 341 km*Apogee: 365 km*Inclination: 51.6°*Period: 91.6 minutes-Mission highlights:... |
30 July 1987 Soyuz TM-2 |
174 days | |
| Commander | Yuri Romanenko Yuri Romanenko Yury Viktorovich Romanenko is a former Soviet cosmonaut, twice Hero of the Soviet Union . Over his career, Yury Romanenko spent a total of 430 days 20 hours 21 minutes 30 seconds in space and 18 hours in space walks. In 1987 he was a resident of the Mir space station, launching on Soyuz TM-2 and... |
Third | 29 December 1987 Soyuz TM-3 Soyuz TM-3 -Mission parameters:*Mass: 7100 kg*Perigee: 297 km*Apogee: 353 km*Inclination: 51.6°*Period: 91.0 minutes... |
326 days | Record spaceflight duration |
|
| Flight Engineer | Aleksandr Aleksandrov Aleksandr Pavlovich Aleksandrov Aleksandr Pavlovich Aleksandrov , born February 20, 1943) is a former Soviet cosmonaut and twice Hero of the Soviet Union .... |
Second | 22 July 1987 Soyuz TM-3 |
160 days |
EO-2 was originally planned to consist of Aleksandr Serebrov
Aleksandr Serebrov
Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Serebrov is a former Soviet cosmonaut. He was born in Moscow, on February 15, 1944, graduated from Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology , and was selected as a cosmonaut on December 1, 1978. He retired on May 10, 1995...
and Vladimir Titov
Vladimir Titov
Vladimir Georgiyevich Titov , Colonel, Russian Air Force, Ret., and former Russian cosmonaut was born January 1, 1947, in Sretensk, in the Zabaykalsky Krai region of Russia. He is married to the former Alexandra Kozlova of Ivanovo Region, Russia...
, but shortly before launch of Soyuz TM-2
Soyuz TM-2
-Mission parameters:*Mass: 7100 kg*Perigee: 341 km*Apogee: 365 km*Inclination: 51.6°*Period: 91.6 minutes-Mission highlights:...
to start the expedition, the crew was changed to Romanenko and Laveykin, possibly due to illness. Titov and Serebrov were listed as the backup crew for the mission.
Mission highlights
The launch of Romanenko and Laveykin aboard TM-2Soyuz TM-2
-Mission parameters:*Mass: 7100 kg*Perigee: 341 km*Apogee: 365 km*Inclination: 51.6°*Period: 91.6 minutes-Mission highlights:...
was broadcast live on TV; it was a night launch which occurred at about 1:30am local time. It was the first manned launch of the new Soyuz-TM
Soyuz-TM
The Soyuz-TM crew transports were fourth generation Soyuz spacecraft used for ferry flights to the Mir and ISS space stations...
spacecraft.
Kvant docking
Kvant-1
Kvant-1 was the second module of the Soviet space station Mir. It was the first addition to the Mir base block and contained scientific instruments for astrophysical observations and materials science experiments....
was launched; it was the second module of the space station Mir, and would add 40 m3 of pressurized volume to Mir, bringing the total to about 130 m3. Attached to Kvant-1 was a Functional Service Module (FSM), which contained propellants, and was used to direct the module to Mir. At launch, the Kvant module had a mass of 11 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s, and the FSM had a mass of 9.6 tonnes. At the time, this was the heaviest payload to be launched by a Proton rocket. The automatic docking system was unable to dock the module completely with Mir on the first attempt. On April 5, the crew of EO-2 retreated to their lifeboat, Soyuz TM-2
Soyuz TM-2
-Mission parameters:*Mass: 7100 kg*Perigee: 341 km*Apogee: 365 km*Inclination: 51.6°*Period: 91.6 minutes-Mission highlights:...
, in case the module lost control.
The module drifted 400 km from the station before it was guided back of a second docking attempt, and on April 9 a partial docking between Kvant and Mir occurred.
To determine the problem with the Kvant docking, both Romanenko and Laveykin took part in an emergency spacewalk
Extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...
on April 11. On the spacewalk they discovered some debris, probably a trash bag, was preventing the spacecraft from fully docking. The spacewalk lasted 3 hours and 40 minues. With the problem fixed, on April 11 Kvant achieve a complete docking to Mir. The next day the FSM was undocked from Kvant, as it was no longer needed, and it was placed in a parking orbit 41 km above Mir; over a year later it underwent uncontrolled reentry
Atmospheric reentry
Atmospheric entry is the movement of human-made or natural objects as they enter the atmosphere of a celestial body from outer space—in the case of Earth from an altitude above the Kármán Line,...
.
April to July 1987
The crew first entered the Kvant-1 module on 13 April, when they began unloading equipment. On 23 April the next Progress spacecraft docked with the station via Kvant's rear docking port, where the FSM used to be. Progress 29 had a mass of 7,100 kg, and undocked from the station on 11 May. During this time Mir was short on electricity, so for most of May the EO-2 crew performed activities that used little electricity, such as medical experiments or Earth observations. On 22 May the next resupply craft arrived, Progress 30, which had a mass of 7,249 kg. It remained docked until 19 July.During June the EO-2 crew performed two spacewalks
Extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...
(EVAs) to install a new set of solar arrays, which would boost the electrical capacity of the station to 11.4 kW.
Mir EP-1
The first visitors the EO-2 crew had came in July 1987 aboard the spacecraft Soyuz TM-3Soyuz TM-3
-Mission parameters:*Mass: 7100 kg*Perigee: 297 km*Apogee: 353 km*Inclination: 51.6°*Period: 91.0 minutes...
. The three man crew launched by TM-3 included the first Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n astronaut, Muhammed Faris
Muhammed Faris
Muhammed Ahmed Faris is a Syrian military aviator. He was the first Syrian and the second Arab in space.Born in Aleppo, Syria, he was a pilot in the Syrian Air Force with the rank of a colonel...
. The crew had originally been scheduled to visit Salyut 7
Salyut 7
Salyut 7 was a space station in low Earth orbit from April 1982 to February 1991. It was first manned in May 1982 with two crew via Soyuz T-5, and last visited in June 1986, by Soyuz T-15. Various crew and modules were used over its lifetime, including a total of 12 manned and 15 unmanned launches...
in 1985, but it was reassigned to Mir. On July 24, the spacecraft automatically docked to the Kvant-1 port, but they had to use a lever to break the hatch's seal. Shortly after the new arrivals floated into the station, it was publicly announced that Aleksandr Aleksandrov
Aleksandr Pavlovich Aleksandrov
Aleksandr Pavlovich Aleksandrov , born February 20, 1943) is a former Soviet cosmonaut and twice Hero of the Soviet Union ....
would replace Aleksandr Laveykin
Aleksandr Laveykin
Aleksandr Ivanovich Laveykin was a Soviet cosmonaut.Born in Moscow, Laveykin was selected as a cosmonaut on December 1, 1978. He flew on one spaceflight, for the first part of the long duration expedition Mir EO-2. He flew as Flight Engineer, and was both launched and landed with the spacecraft...
as one of the EO-2 long term crew members, and Laveykin would return to Earth a week later with the EP-1 crew.
The desire to have favourable daylight conditions during passes over Syria was the primary motivation for the timing of the mission. Several experiments were conducted with Faris onboard, and Syria was observed from space.
On July 29, Soyuz TM-2
Soyuz TM-2
-Mission parameters:*Mass: 7100 kg*Perigee: 341 km*Apogee: 365 km*Inclination: 51.6°*Period: 91.6 minutes-Mission highlights:...
undocked from the station, and carried Faris, Viktorenko, and Laveykin. Once on the ground, Laveykin was flown to Moscow to be examined by heart specialists. They determined that he was fit to fly after all.
August to December 1987
Of the six Progress spacecraft which docked with the station during EO-3, three of them arrived during the second segment:- Progress 31 - Docked 5 August, undocked 21 September
- Progress 32 - Docked 26 September, undocked 10 November
- Progress 33 - Docked 23 November, undocked 19 December
Handover to Mir EO-3
The spacecraft Soyuz TM-4Soyuz TM-4
-Mission parameters:*Mass: 7070 kg*Perigee: 337 km*Apogee: 357 km*Inclination: 51.6°*Period: 91.5 minutes-Mission highlights:...
docked with Mir, via the rear port of Kvant, on 23 December. It brought to the station Vladimir Titov
Vladimir Titov
Vladimir Georgiyevich Titov , Colonel, Russian Air Force, Ret., and former Russian cosmonaut was born January 1, 1947, in Sretensk, in the Zabaykalsky Krai region of Russia. He is married to the former Alexandra Kozlova of Ivanovo Region, Russia...
and Musa Manarov of the next long-duration expedition EO-3
Mir EO-3
Mir EO-3 was an expedition to the space station Mir. The crew consisted of 3 people, Musa Manarov , Vladimir Titov and Valeri Polyakov . Manarov and Titov arrived at the station in December 1987 on Soyuz TM-4, while Polyakov arrived much later, in August 1988 on Soyuz TM-6...
. Also brought to the station was potential Buran space shuttle pilot, Anatoli Levchenko
Anatoli Levchenko
Anatoli Semyonovich Levchenko was a Soviet cosmonaut....
, who returned to Earth with the EO-2 crew. Levchenko's spaceflight, which lasted for the duration of the EO-2/EO-3 crew handover, is known as Mir LII-1.