Soyuz 23
Encyclopedia
Soyuz 23 was a 1976 Soviet manned space flight, the second to the Salyut 5
space station
. Cosmonauts Vyacheslav Zudov
and Valery Rozhdestvensky arrived at the station, but an equipment malfunction did not allow docking and the mission had to be aborted.
The crew returned to earth, but landed on partially frozen Lake Tengiz
, the first splashdown
in the Soviet space program. While there was no concern about any immediate threat to the crew, recovery took nine hours owing to fog and other adverse conditions.
mission in August. However on 15 October, during the automatic approach phase, the automatic docking system malfunctioned before the craft was within 100 metres of the station. Crews were normally trained for a manual dock, but not for a manual approach. The mission, accordingly, had to be abandoned.
The craft had only two days of battery power, so systems were powered off, including the radio, to conserve power. The day's landing opportunity had already passed, so they had to wait for the next day's landing opportunity near the Baikonur Cosmodrome
.
On 16 October, Soyuz 23 returned to earth and landed 8:45 p.m. local time, but weather conditions were poor and the cosmonauts experienced an unusual recovery. They landed on a freezing Lake Tengiz
, 8 km from shore, in the middle of a blizzard, with fog and temperatures at -22 C. It was the first splashdown by a Soviet crew. The capsule was designed to land in any conditions, even in a body of water, so the only concern was the increased difficulty in finding the capsule and crew.
The parachute quickly filled with water and dragged the capsule and its crew beneath the surface. The capsule cooled in the freezing water, and the cosmonauts removed their pressure suits and donned their normal flight suits, expecting a quick rescue.
But the capsule's beacons could not be seen in the heavy fog, and rubber rafts used to try to reach them were blocked by ice and sludge. Amphibious vehicles were air-lifted to the vicinity, but could not reach the capsule owing to bogs surrounding the lake. Accordingly, the rescue was called off until dawn. The cosmonauts were safe, but they were low on power, so they were forced to shut down everything but a small interior light.
The next morning, frogmen were dropped in by helicopters, attached flotation devices to the Soyuz craft and recovered the crew. The capsule was too heavy to be lifted by the helicopter, so it was dragged to shore. The recovery operation had taken nine hours.
Salyut 5
Salyut 5 , also known as OPS-3, was a Soviet space station. Launched in 1976 as part of the Salyut programme, it was the third and last Almaz space station to be launched for the Soviet military. Two Soyuz missions visited the station, each manned by two cosmonauts...
space station
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...
. Cosmonauts Vyacheslav Zudov
Vyacheslav Zudov
Vyacheslav Dmitriyevich Zudov was a USSR cosmonaut.He was selected as a cosmonaut on October 23, 1965, flew as Commander on Soyuz 23 on October 14–16, 1976 and retired on May 14, 1987.Vyacheslav Zudov is married and has two children.-References:...
and Valery Rozhdestvensky arrived at the station, but an equipment malfunction did not allow docking and the mission had to be aborted.
The crew returned to earth, but landed on partially frozen Lake Tengiz
Lake Tengiz
Tengiz Lake is a saline lake in north-central part of Kazakhstan. Lake Tengiz is an important wetland site for birds. It ia a part of a Ramsar wetland site of international importance, "Tengiz-Korgalzhyn Lake System". 318 species of birds have been recorded at Lake Tengiz, 22 of which are endangered...
, the first splashdown
Splashdown (spacecraft landing)
Splashdown is the method of landing a spacecraft by parachute in a body of water. It was used by American manned spacecraft prior to the Space Shuttle program. It is also possible for the Russian Soyuz spacecraft and Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft to land in water, though this is only a contingency...
in the Soviet space program. While there was no concern about any immediate threat to the crew, recovery took nine hours owing to fog and other adverse conditions.
Crew
Backup crew
Reserve crew
Mission highlights
Soyuz 23 was launched 14 October 1976 with an estimated 73- to 85-day mission planned aboard the orbiting Salyut 5 space station. Others suggest a 17- to 24-day mission was a more likely intention. It was the first visit to the station after the sudden termination of the Soyuz 21Soyuz 21
Soyuz 21 was a 1976 Soviet manned mission to the Salyut 5 space station, the first of three flights to the station. The mission's objectives were mainly military in scope, but included other scientific work. The mission ended abruptly with cosmonauts Boris Volynov and Vitaly Zholobov returning to...
mission in August. However on 15 October, during the automatic approach phase, the automatic docking system malfunctioned before the craft was within 100 metres of the station. Crews were normally trained for a manual dock, but not for a manual approach. The mission, accordingly, had to be abandoned.
The craft had only two days of battery power, so systems were powered off, including the radio, to conserve power. The day's landing opportunity had already passed, so they had to wait for the next day's landing opportunity near the Baikonur Cosmodrome
Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur Cosmodrome , also called Tyuratam, is the world's first and largest operational space launch facility. It is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan, about east of the Aral Sea, north of the Syr Darya river, near Tyuratam railway station, at 90 meters above sea level...
.
On 16 October, Soyuz 23 returned to earth and landed 8:45 p.m. local time, but weather conditions were poor and the cosmonauts experienced an unusual recovery. They landed on a freezing Lake Tengiz
Lake Tengiz
Tengiz Lake is a saline lake in north-central part of Kazakhstan. Lake Tengiz is an important wetland site for birds. It ia a part of a Ramsar wetland site of international importance, "Tengiz-Korgalzhyn Lake System". 318 species of birds have been recorded at Lake Tengiz, 22 of which are endangered...
, 8 km from shore, in the middle of a blizzard, with fog and temperatures at -22 C. It was the first splashdown by a Soviet crew. The capsule was designed to land in any conditions, even in a body of water, so the only concern was the increased difficulty in finding the capsule and crew.
The parachute quickly filled with water and dragged the capsule and its crew beneath the surface. The capsule cooled in the freezing water, and the cosmonauts removed their pressure suits and donned their normal flight suits, expecting a quick rescue.
But the capsule's beacons could not be seen in the heavy fog, and rubber rafts used to try to reach them were blocked by ice and sludge. Amphibious vehicles were air-lifted to the vicinity, but could not reach the capsule owing to bogs surrounding the lake. Accordingly, the rescue was called off until dawn. The cosmonauts were safe, but they were low on power, so they were forced to shut down everything but a small interior light.
The next morning, frogmen were dropped in by helicopters, attached flotation devices to the Soyuz craft and recovered the crew. The capsule was too heavy to be lifted by the helicopter, so it was dragged to shore. The recovery operation had taken nine hours.
Mission parameters
- Mass: 6760 kg (14,903.2 lb)
- Perigee: 239 km (148.5 mi)
- Apogee: 269 km (167.1 mi)
- Inclination: 51.6°
- Period: 89.5 min
External links
- Drama on Tengiz Lake (in Russian) with photos
- Rescue operation on Tengiz Lake (in Russian)