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High-Tech America - Space Stations
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High-Tech America - Space Stations (1995)(American MPC Research).iso
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1995-09-14
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During the 1960Æs, the Soviet Union secretly developed plans to put a human on the
Moon in a ôSpace Raceö with the USAÆs Apollo program. After the successful lunar
landing of Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969, the Soviets redirected their attention toward
establishing space stations in Earth orbit. The worldÆs first space station, Salyut 1, was
launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on April 19, 1971.
Since Salyut 1, Cosmonaut space station crews have been shuttled to and from orbit in
expendable Soyuz vehicles. First used in the late 1960Æs to practice docking space
vehicles, Soyuz (which means ôunionö in Russian) has been modified twice. The Soyuz T
design featured new computerized motion controls and a simplified fuel system; Soyuz T
spaceships began service in 1980, but they have since been replaced by the Soyuz TM.
A Soyuz spacecraft consists of three parts: an orbital utility module, a descent capsule,
and an instrument module. The orbital utility module supports the docking assembly and
hatch for access to space stations; it can hold cargo and research equipment. The crew
sits in the descent module (the central section) during launch, maneuvers, and reentry; this
unit contains flight controls and communications gear. The instrument module contains
propulsion equipment and supports wing-like solar arrays which provide electricity.
The first space station crew - Dobrovolsky, Patsayev, Volkov - was launched in Soyuz 11;
they spent 23 days in the Salyut 1 orbital laboratory and prepared to return to Earth on
June 29, 1971. In order to fit into their descent capsule, the men could not wear bulky
pressurized suits. When the descent capsule separated from the other sections of the
Soyuz for reentry, a valve accidentally opened and the air in the capsule escaped;
tragically, the cosmonauts died before landing on Earth.
One year after the Soyuz 11 disaster, Salyut 2 was launched but failed to reach orbit.
Salyuts 3 and 5, stations used for military purposes, were operated successfully and used
to carry out meteorological research and materials-science studies. A civilian space
station - Salyut 4 - was manned by two different crews during 1975 which conducted
astronomical research and medical experiments.
Because the early Salyuts had only one docking port, the ability to resupply the stations
with air, water, and food was limited. The longest stay in a first generation Salyut, the
second mission to Salyut 4, lasted only 63 days. A new design employing two docking
ports would be used by Salyuts 6 and 7. With these second generation space stations, the
Soyuz crew transport could remain parked at one port while a robotic Progress freighter
docked at the other port to drop off supplies, allowing for longer manned missions.
Crews on the second generation Salyuts set records of 185, 211, and 237 days in space.
Many international crews worked in these stations as part of the Intercosmos program,
including space travelers from Cuba, Mongolia, India, and France. The addition of
modules to the stations was tested, proving the viability of modular expansion that would
be fully actualized with the next generation of space stations - Mir.