Human Spaceflights

International Flight No. 56

Soyuz 21

Baikal

USSR

early Salyut patch

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first Salyut patch

Launch, orbit and landing data

Launch date:  06.07.1976
Launch time:  12:09 UTC
Launch site:  Baikonur
Launch pad:  1
Altitude:  193 - 253 km
Declination:  51,59°
Docking Salyut 5:  07.07.1976, 13:40 UTC
Undocking Salyut 5:  24.08.1976, 15:12 UTC
Landing date:  24.08.1976
Landing time:  18:33 UTC
Landing site:  200 km SW of Kokchetav
Crew Soyuz 21

alternate crew photo

alternate crew photo

alternate crew photo

alternate crew photo

Crew

No.   Surname Given names Position Flight No. Duration Orbits
1 USSR  Volynov  Boris Valentinovich  Commander 2 49d 06h 23m  791 
2 USSR  Zholobov  Vitali Mikhailovich  Flight Engineer 1 49d 06h 23m  791 

Crew seating arrangement

Launch
1  Volynov
2  Zholobov
Soyuz spaceship
Landing
1  Volynov
2  Zholobov

Animations: Soyuz

Launch deorbit entry
(requires Macromedia Flash Player)
with friendly permission of www.marscenter.it

1st Double Crew

No.   Surname Given names Position
1 USSR  Zudov  Vyacheslav Dmitriyevich  Commander
2 USSR  Rozhdestvensky  Valeri Iliych  Flight Engineer
Crew Soyuz 21 (1st double)

hi res version (592 KB)

2nd Double Crew

No.   Surname Given names Position
1 USSR  Gorbatko  Viktor Vasiliyevich  Commander
2 USSR  Glazkov  Yuri Nikolayevich  Flight Engineer
Crew Soyuz 21 (2nd double)

hi res version (538 KB)

Flight

Launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome; landing 200 km southwest of Kokchetav.

Following a one day solo flight the Soyuz docked with Salyut 5 on 07.07.1976. The docking was problematic, because of a failure of the Igla system; main military experiments. Observation of aquarium fishes in the microgravity. Solar observation and biological observation (plant growing) were carried out. The Kalialaun-experiment was needed for observation of crystal grooving in space. Also a TV conference with pupils was held.

Premature return to Earth because of suspected toxic gases in the space station. Zholobov suffered from space sickness and homesickness and the crew from psychological problems. At the landing date the crew was in very bad psychological and mental condition. So it could be, that the problem with toxic gases could have been only a pretext, but nothing is sure.

Photos / Drawings

Salyut 5 crew in training
crew in training Soyuz 21 launch

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Last update on January 14, 2012.

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