Soyuz 7K-OK
The Soyuz 7K-OK is the first generation of soviet Soyuz spacecraft, flying from November 11, 1966 to June 1, 1970. It had a crew of 2-3 astronauts and was produced in two versions, "Active" and "Passive", describing its role during docking and the configuration of the early docking port. It was a major evolution from the early Vostok spacecraft and plagued with early problems.
Description
The Soyuz spacecraft consists of three modules, of which only the descent module CA returns to Earth. Every module is specialized for its tasks.
Orbital Module БО
Extends habitable space, contains galley and toilet, acts as airlock, contains the ingress hatch for entering the spacecraft on the launch pad. Contains the Игла/Igla (Needle) docking guidance system. The orbital module is easily adapted for new docking adapters, docking guidance systems or scientific payloads.
Descent Module СА
Crew, crew seats, front hatch, Sirius-7K IDS, Visor (Визр) periscope, hydrogen peroxide attitude control, heat shield, landing rockets.
Propulsion Module ПО
Contains all navigation sensors, solar arrays, pressurized electronics compartment, hydrogen peroxide for the ДО and ДПО thrusters, Dinitrogentetroxide and Unsymmetrical Dimethylhydrazine for main(СКД) and backup engine (ДКД).
Subsystems
Attitude control
ДО (DO) and ДПО (DPO) thruster systems, using hydrogen peroxide.
45K sun tracker
TV cameras
КР-75, КР-71/1, КР-71/2, КР-91. КР-74 TV signal multiplexer.
СКД main engine
ДКД back-up engine
Missions
| Active Spacecraft |
Active launch date |
Active launch crew |
Passive Spacecraft |
Passive launch date |
Passive launch crew |
Date of docking | Active landing date |
Active landing crew |
Passive landing date |
Passive landing crew |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cosmos 133 | November 28, 1966 | Unmanned | Canceled | November 29, 1966 | Unmanned | Canceled | November 30, 1966 | Unmanned | Canceled | Canceled | Attitude control system failed, passive mission canceled, destroyed by 23 kg self-destruct charge over China. Also known as "Spacecraft No.2" |
| N/A | N/A | N/A | Spacecraft no.1 | December 14, 1966 16:00 | Unmanned | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | Lift-off failed, shortly afterwards SAS rocket activated, destroying the rocket in a fire and killing Major Korostylev. |
| Cosmos 140 | February 7, 1967 | Unmanned | NA | NA | NA | NA | February 9, 1967 | Unmanned | NA | NA | 45K Sun tracker failed, depleting DPO propellants and batteries, landed in water and sank, because of a heat shield burn-through |
| Soyuz 1 | April 23, 1967 03:35 MT | Komarov | Soyuz 2 | Canceled | Bykovsky, Yeliseyev, Khrunov | Canceled | April 24, 1967 06:24 MT | Komarov | Canceled | Canceled | Attitude control system failed again, parachutes failed during landing, killing Komarov |
| Cosmos 186 | October 27, 1967 | Unmanned | Cosmos 188 | October 30, 1967 | Unmanned | October 30, 1967 | October 31, 1967 | Unmanned | November 2, 1967 | Unmanned | Achieved only soft-docking, again problems with 45K sensor, passive spacecraft self-destructed before reentry after passing an "Ion pocket" over Brazil |
| Cosmos 212 | April 14, 1968 | Unmanned | Cosmos 213 | April 15, 1968 | Unmanned | April 15, 1968 | April 19, 1968 | Unmanned | April 20, 1968 | Unmanned | Achieved hard-docking, first guided reentry by Cosmos 212, both spacecraft badly damaged by the parachute dragging them over ground after landing |
References
- "Soyuz - A Universal Spacecraft"; Hall, Shayler; Springer Praxis; ISBN 1-85233-657-9
- Docking Technology
- Liquid Rocket Engines; Bychkov, Nazarov, Prishchepa.
- The Soyuz - Ready to Fly; Filipchenko.
- Mutual Aid In Space; Fotkin.
- The Apollo And Soyuz Spacecraft; Yudin.
- The Apollo-Soyuz Test Flight; Leonov.
- Space - A Road Without End; Nikolayev
- Such Will Be Our Ship; Zhadanov, Yuzhov
- Soyuz - Workhorse Of Space; Yelizavetin
- Soviet Soyuz Spacecraft; Academy Of Sciences, USSR
- From Spacecraft To Spacecraft;
- Rendezvous In Orbit; Anuchin
- Flight Of Soyuz 10
- Soyuz And Apollo; Buchuev (WARNING: 820 MB PDF)
- The Second Orbital Flight; Nikolayev
- The Soyuz 6, Soyuz 7 and Soyuz 8 Mission, Mandrovsky
- A Brief Description Of Docking Device of "Soyuz"-Type Spacecraft (With Internal Passageway)
- Description Of The Conceptual Arrangement For The Rendezvous And Docking of Soyuz Spacecraft
- Reference Data On The Parameters Of The Atmosphere In The Living Compartments Of Soyuz Type Spacecraft
- Radiotelephone Communications Between Spacecraft Of The Soyuz Type