MIR: Expedition 12
(EO-12)

Launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome; landing 100 km northwest of Arkalyk.

After a two-day solo flight Soyuz TM-15 docked to the MIR space station on July 29, 1992. Scientific work by the eleventh resident crew followed. Later, Anatoli Soloviyov and Sergei Avdeyev formed the twelfth MIR resident crew.

During the French MIR Antares mission, which lasted two weeks, eleven experiments in the fields of biomedicine, physics and technology have been carried out. ORTHOSTATISME concerned the study of blood pressure and cardiovascular regulation, and with the distribution of blood flow in zero gravity. Similarly, the effects on hormones were studied. In the experiment ILLUSION the adaptation of the sensory organs to the space environment was investigated. In NAUSICAA 1 the composition and strength of the radiation field surrounding the astronauts were measured. Further experiments were concerned with the life of cells and effects on the immune system. Crystal growth, the effect of cosmic radiation on electronic components and the behaviour of fluids in microgravity were further objects of investigation.

After undocking of Soyuz TM-14 (Aleksandr Viktorenko / Aleksandr Kaleri / Michel Tognini) every-day-life on the station started for the twelfth resident crew. The focus was on geophysics, materials science and manufacturing special alloys crystals, biotechnology, astronomy and medical examinations. In addition, the small satellite MAK 2 for Moscow Aviation Institute has been suspended.

Later Anatoli Soloviyov and Sergei Avdeyev performed four EVAs.

The first spacewalk occurred on September 03, 1992 (3h 56m). The two cosmonauts moved the VDU to the work site and prepared the Sofora girder.

The second EVA was performed on September 07, 1992 (5h 08m). In this spacewalk they bent Sofora back on a hinge at one-third of its length to make its top more accessible, and laid a control cable along the girder. They also removed the remnants of the Soviet flag placed on the mast during its assembly in 1991. It had been reduced to shreds by UV degradation and orbital debris and meteoroid impacts.

Anatoli Soloviyov and Sergei Avdeyev conducted the third EVA on September 11, 1992 (5h 44m). The cosmonauts attached the VDU unit atop the Sofora girder and hoisted it into position by straightening the girder.

The fourth and final EVA was performed on September 15, 1992 (3h 33m). The spacewalkers retrieved solar cell and materials samples and moved the Kurs rendezvous antenna on Kristall so it could be used by Soyuz TM-16.

The return capsule of Progress M-14 was loaded with about 150 kg of research material just before the undocking. A further material delivery arrived with Progress M-15 in October 1992.