Soviet Space Program Soyuz TM-7 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...
Jean-Loup Chrétien
| Birthday | 08/20/1938 |
|---|---|
| Role | Research Cosmonaut |
| Nationality | France |
| First Flight | 06/24/1982 |
| Last Flight | 09/26/1997 |
Jean-Loup Jacques Marie Chrétien (born 20 August 1938) is a French retired Général de Brigade (brigadier general) in the Armée de l'Air (French air force),...
Sergei Krikalev
| Birthday | 08/27/1958 |
|---|---|
| Role | Flight Engineer |
| Nationality | Russia |
| First Flight | 11/26/1988 |
| Last Flight | 04/15/2005 |
Sergei Konstantinovich Krikalev (Russian: Серге́й Константинович Крикалёв, also transliterated as Sergei Krikalyov; born August 27, 1958) is a Russian cosmonaut and mechanical engineer. As a...
About the Soyuz TM-7 Mission
| Type | Human Exploration |
|---|---|
| Orbit | Low Earth Orbit |
Soyuz TM-7 was the seventh mission to Mir space station. The mission began on November 26, 1988, 15:49:34 UTC, launching Commander Alexander Volkov, Flight Engineer Sergei Krikalyov and Research Cosmonaut Jean-Loup Chrétien. They docked with Mir two days later, meeting with the resident crew. While Jean-Loup Chrétien returned 3 weeks later, two other cosmonauts were a part of the fourth long-duration expedition on Mir. During their stay there, cosmonauts performed an EVA and various experiments in biology, medicine, X-ray astronomy, technology etc. They also carried out sky surveys, spectrographic and topographic Earth observation experiments. Crew were visited by three Progress resupply spacecrafts.
Jean-Loup Chrétien returned to Earth on December 21, 1988 in a Soyuz TM-6 spacecraft. The long-duration expedition crew returned on a Soyuz TM-7 spacecraft, landing safely back on Earth on April 27, 1989, 02:57:58 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-7
Soyuz TM-7 (Soyuz TM 11F732A51 #57) 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-7 was a Soyuz spacecraft which launched on 26 November 1988 15:49 UTC. It transported two members of the Expedition 4 crew and a French astronaut to Mir. The Expedition 4 crew consisted of Alexander Volkov and Sergei Krikalyov. The French astronaut was Jean-Loup Chrétien. 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 #57 |
| Status | Single Use |
| Destination | Mir |
| Maiden Flight | 5/21/1986 |
| Mission End | 4/27/1989 |
| 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-7 launch scheduled?
The Soviet Space Program Soyuz-U Soyuz TM-7 launch was scheduled for:
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Where did the Soviet Space Program Soyuz-U Soyuz TM-7 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-7 mission?
The Soyuz TM-7 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-7 launch?
The Soviet Space Program Soyuz-U Soyuz TM-7 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-7 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-7 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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