Soviet Space Program Soyuz TM-13 Soyuz-U2
Meet the Astronaut Crew
Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Volkov
| Birthday | 05/27/1948 |
|---|---|
| Role | Commander |
| Nationality | Russia |
| First Flight | 09/17/1985 |
| Last Flight | 10/02/1991 |
Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Volkov (Russian: Алекса́ндр Алекса́ндрович Во́лков, born 27 May 1948) is a retired Russian cosmonaut. He is a veteran of 3 space flights, including...
Franz Viehböck
| Birthday | 08/24/1960 |
|---|---|
| Role | Research Cosmonaut |
| Nationality | Austria |
| First Flight | 10/02/1991 |
| Last Flight | 10/02/1991 |
Franz Artur Viehböck (born August 24, 1960 in Vienna) is an Austrian electrical engineer, and was Austria's first cosmonaut. He was titulated „Austronaut“ by his...
Toktar Aubakirov
| Birthday | 07/27/1946 |
|---|---|
| Role | Research Cosmonaut |
| Nationality | Kazakhstan |
| First Flight | 10/02/1991 |
| Last Flight | 10/02/1991 |
Toktar Ongarbayuly Aubakirov (Kazakh: Тоқтар Оңғарбайұлы Әубәкіров, Russian: Токтар Онгарбаевич Аубакиров, born on 27 July 1946) is a retired Kazakh Air Force officer and a...
About the Soyuz TM-13 Mission
| Type | Human Exploration |
|---|---|
| Orbit | Low Earth Orbit |
Soyuz TM-13 was the 13th mission and the tenth long-duration expedition to Mir space station. The mission began on October 2, 1991, 05:59:38 UTC, launching Commander Alexander Volkov, Research Cosmonaut/Flight Engineer Toktar Aubakirov and Research Cosmonaut Franz Viehböck, the first Austrian cosmonaut, into orbit. They docked with Mir two days later. During their stay there, cosmonauts performed EVAs, various station repair and maintenance tasks, and carried out scientific experiments in biology, geophysics, space technology, astronomy etc. They were visited by several Progress resupply spacecrafts, and welcomed aboard the Soyuz TM-14 crew.
The mission concluded with a safe landing back on Earth on March 25, 1992, 08:51:22 UTC.
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.
Soviet Space Program Soyuz-U2 Rocket
The Soyuz-U2 was a Soviet, later Russian, carrier rocket. It was derived from the Soyuz-U, and a member of the R-7 family of rockets. It featured increased performance compared with the baseline Soyuz-U, due to the use of syntin propellant, as opposed to RP-1 paraffin, used on the Soyuz-U.
| Length | 34.5 m |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 3.0 m |
| Stages | 2 |
| Launch Mass | 298.0 T |
| LEO Capacity | 7,050 kg |
| Maiden Flight | 12/23/1982 |
Mission Spacecraft
Soyuz TM-13
Soyuz TM-13 (Soyuz TM 11F732A51 #63) was the spacecraft used for this mission. It is a ROSCOSMOS Capsule designed for Manned and Cargo ISS & Mir Logistics, Lifeboat and traveled to Mir.
Soyuz TM-13 was a Soyuz spacecraft which launched on 2 October 1991 05:59 UTC. It transported one member of the Expedition 10 crew, one Kazakh, and one Austrian astronaut to Mir. The Expedition 10 crew consisted of Alexander Volkov. The Kazakh astronaut was Toktar Aubakirov. The Austrian astronaut was Franz Viehböck. 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. 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. 180 days while docked
| Type | Capsule |
|---|---|
| Agency | ROSCOSMOS |
| Serial Number | Soyuz TM 11F732A51 #63 |
| Status | Single Use |
| Destination | Mir |
| Maiden Flight | 5/21/1986 |
| Mission End | 3/25/1992 |
| 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 TM-13 launch scheduled?
The Soviet Space Program Soyuz-U Soyuz TM-13 launch was scheduled for:
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Where did the Soviet Space Program Soyuz-U Soyuz TM-13 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 TM-13 mission?
The Soyuz TM-13 mission launched aboard a Soviet Space Program Soyuz-U rocket. The Soyuz-U2 was a Soviet, later Russian, carrier rocket. It was derived from the Soyuz-U, and a member of the R-7 family of rockets. It featured increased performance compared with the baseline Soyuz-U, due to the use of syntin propellant, as opposed to RP-1 paraffin, used on the Soyuz-U. 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 TM-13 launch?
The Soviet Space Program Soyuz-U Soyuz TM-13 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 TM-13 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 TM-13 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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