Soviet Space Program Soyuz 16 Soyuz-U
Meet the Astronaut Crew
Anatoly Filipchenko
| Birthday | 02/26/1928 |
|---|---|
| Role | Commander |
| Nationality | Russia |
| First Flight | 10/12/1969 |
| Last Flight | 12/02/1974 |
Anatoly Vasilyevich Filipchenko (Russian: Анато́лий Васи́льевич Фили́пченко; born February 26, 1928) was a Soviet cosmonaut of Ukrainian descent. He flew on the Soyuz 7 and...
Nikolay Rukavishnikov
| Birthday | 09/18/1932 |
|---|---|
| Role | Flight Engineer |
| Nationality | Russia |
| First Flight | 04/22/1971 |
| Last Flight | 04/10/1979 |
Nikolay Nikolayevich Rukavishnikov was a Soviet cosmonaut who flew three space missions of the Soyuz programme: Soyuz 10, Soyuz 16, and Soyuz 33. Two of...
About the Soyuz 16 Mission
| Type | Human Exploration |
|---|---|
| Orbit | Low Earth Orbit |
Soyuz 16 was a crewed test flight in a preparation for a joint Soviet-US space flight. The mission began on December 2, 1974, 09:40:00 UTC, with a launch of commander Anatoly Filipchenko and flight engineer Nikolai Rukavishnikov into orbit. During their 6-day stay in orbit, crew tested various new and improved systems and elements, including the new docking system.
Soyuz 16 ended on December 8, 1974, 08:03:35 UTC with a successful landing.
Launch Pad & Location
1/5
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
| Launches | 487 |
|---|---|
| Orbital Launch Attempts | 487 |
| Total Launches | 1565 |
The Baikonur Cosmodrome is a spaceport operated by Russia within Kazakhstan. Located in the Kazakh city of Baikonur, it is the largest operational space launch facility in terms of area. All Russian crewed spaceflights are launched from Baikonur.
ROSCOSMOS Soyuz U Rocket
| Length | 51.1 m |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 3.0 m |
| Stages | 2-3 |
| Launch Mass | 313.0 T |
| LEO Capacity | 6,900 kg |
| Maiden Flight | 5/18/1973 |
Mission Spacecraft
Soyuz 16
Soyuz 16 (Soyuz 7K-TM 11F615A12 #73) was the spacecraft used for this mission. It is a ROSCOSMOS Capsule designed for Manned and Cargo ISS Logistics and traveled to Low Earth Orbit.
Soyuz 16 was a Soyuz spacecraft which launched on 2 December 1974 09:40 UTC. It launched two cosmonauts on a test flight for the upcoming Apollo-Soyuz mission. The crew was Anatoly Filipchenko and Nikolai Rukavishnikov. Soyuz is a series of spacecraft designed for the Soviet space programme by the Korolyov Design Bureau (now RKK Energia) in the 1960s that remains in service today. The Soyuz succeeded the Voskhod spacecraft and was originally built as part of the Soviet Manned Lunar programme. nn The Soyuz spacecraft is launched on a Soyuz rocket, the most frequently used and most reliable launch vehicle in the world to date. The Soyuz rocket design is based on the Vostok launcher, which in turn was based on the 8K74 or R-7A Semyorka, a Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile. All Soyuz spacecraft are launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. 200 Days
| Type | Capsule |
|---|---|
| Agency | ROSCOSMOS |
| Serial Number | Soyuz 7K-TM 11F615A12 #73 |
| Status | Single Use |
| Destination | Low Earth Orbit |
| Maiden Flight | 11/28/1966 |
| Mission End | 12/8/1974 |
| Flights | 1 |
| Crew Capacity | 3 |
| Human Rated | Yes |
| Height | 7.5 m |
| Diameter | 2.7 m |
About Soviet Space Program
The Soviet space program, was the national space program of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) actived from 1930s until disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The Soviet Union's space program was mainly based on the cosmonautic exploration of space and the development of the expandable launch vehicles, which had been split between many design bureaus competing against each other. Over its 60-years of history, the Russian program was responsible for a number of pioneering feats and accomplishments in the human space flight, including the first intercontinental ballistic missile (R-7), first satellite (Sputnik 1), first animal in Earth orbit (the dog Laika on Sputnik 2), first human in space and Earth orbit (cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on Vostok 1), first woman in space and Earth orbit (cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova on Vostok 6), first spacewalk (cosmonaut Alexei Leonov on Voskhod 2), first Moon impact (Luna 2), first image of the far side of the Moon (Luna 3) and unmanned lunar soft landing (Luna 9), first space rover (Lunokhod 1), first sample of lunar soil automatically extracted and brought to Earth (Luna 16), and first space station (Salyut 1). Further notable records included the first interplanetary probes: Venera 1 and Mars 1 to fly by Venus and Mars, respectively, Venera 3 and Mars 2 to impact the respective planet surface, and Venera 7 and Mars 3 to make soft landings on these planets.
| Total Launches | 2,456 |
|---|---|
| Successful | 2,288 |
| Failed | 168 |
| Consecutive Success | 17 |
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the Soviet Space Program Soyuz U Soyuz 16 launch scheduled?
The Soviet Space Program Soyuz U Soyuz 16 launch was scheduled for:
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Where did the Soviet Space Program Soyuz U Soyuz 16 mission launch from?
The Soviet Space Program Soyuz U rocket launched from 1/5 at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan. The Baikonur Cosmodrome is a spaceport operated by Russia within Kazakhstan. Located in the Kazakh city of Baikonur, it is the largest operational space launch facility in terms of area. All Russian crewed spaceflights are launched from Baikonur.
What rocket was used for the Soyuz 16 mission?
The Soyuz 16 mission launched aboard a Soviet Space Program Soyuz U rocket. Detailed rocket specifications and performance data are available in the rocket details above.
What weather conditions could have delayed the Soviet Space Program Soyuz U Soyuz 16 launch?
The Soviet Space Program Soyuz U Soyuz 16 launch could have been delayed by various weather conditions including lightning within 10 nautical miles, high winds (especially upper-level winds), thick cloud layers, precipitation, and poor visibility. Weather must be favorable at the launch site, downrange landing zones, and abort landing sites.
How can I get updates if the Soviet Space Program Soyuz U Soyuz 16 launch was delayed?
This page was updated in real-time with the latest Soviet Space Program Soyuz U launch status, including any delays or scrubs for the Soyuz 16 mission. You can also check our space launch schedule for historical launch information. Our mobile app provides push notifications for instant alerts about launch status changes. Official Soviet Space Program live streams provided the most immediate range updates during the launch window.
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