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)...
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 A...
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 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
The 1/5 launch pad has hosted 487 rocket launches, including 487 orbital launch attempts. The Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan launch site has been the location for 1563 total rocket launches.
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.
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.
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.