Human Spaceflights

International Flight-No. 61

Soyuz 26

Soyuz 27
Taymyr

USSR

early Salyut patch
first Salyut patch

Launch, orbit and landing data

Launch date:  10.12.1977
Launch time  01:18 UT
Launch site:  Baikonur
Launch pad:  1
Altitude:  195 - 235 km
Inclination:  51,64°
Docking Salyut 6:  11.12.1977, 03:02:41 UT
Undocking Salyut 6:  16.01.1978, 08:08 UT
Landing date:  16.03.1978
Landing time:  11:18 UT
Landing site:  310 km W of Tselinograd

walkout photo

Crew Soyuz 26

alternate crew photo

alternate crew photo

alternate crew photo

alternate crew photo

Crew

No.   Surname Given names Job Flight No. Duration Orbits
1 USSR  Romanenko  Yuri Viktorovich  Commander 1 96d 10h 00m  1522 
2 USSR  Grechko  Georgi Mikhailovich  Flight Engineer 2 96d 10h 00m  1522 

Crew seating arrangement

Launch
1  Romanenko
2  Grechko
Soyuz spaceship
Landing
1  Dzhanibekov
2  Makarov

Animations: Soyuz

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

Double Crew

No.   Surname Given names Job
1 USSR  Kovalyonok  Vladimir Vasiliyevich  Commander
2 USSR  Ivanchenkov  Aleksandr Sergeyevich  Flight Engineer
Crew Soyuz 26 (double)

Flight

Launch from Baikonur; landing with Soyuz 27 spacecraft 310 km west of Tselinograd.

Following a one day solo flight the Soyuz docked with the space station Salyut 6 on 11.12.1977. Staying time there: 95 days. SEVA by Romanenko and Grechko on 19.12.1977 (1h 28m), inspecting the Salyut 6 docking port. The inspection confirmed that the Soyuz 25 spacecraft docking unit was at fault in its failure to hard dock, and that its docking attempts had left the Salyut 6 front port undamaged. Visits from Soyuz 27 on 10.01.1978 and from Soyuz 28 since 02.03.1978. Common scientific work and experiments.

It was the first mission to receive visiting crews launched aboard another spacecraft, and to be resupplied by a logistics spacecraft (Progress 1) on 20.01.1978, delivering food, water, air and fuel. The crew also set a new flight duration record.

Photos / Drawings

Salyut 6 Soyuz 26 landing

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Last update on June 03, 2010.

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