Jun 25 1974
From The Space Library
25 June-19 July: The Salyut 3 research station and-nine days later-the Soyuz 14 spacecraft carrying a two-man crew were launched into near-earth orbit to establish a U.S.S.R. manned orbital workshop.
Salyut 3 was launched at 4:55 am local time 25 June (7:55 pm EDT 24 June) from Baykonur Cosmodrome near Tyuratam into orbit with 252-km apogee, 213-km perigee, 89.2-min period, and 51.6° inclination. Tass announced the purpose of the mission was to improve the station's design, onboard systems, and equipment and to perform scientific re-search during space flight. By 30 June Salyut 3, which consisted of two cylinders more than 21 m in length and weighing some 18 500 kg, had been raised to a near-circular orbit with a 268-km apogee and 265-km perigee.
Soyuz 14 was launched 3 July at 11:51 pm local time (2:51 pm EDT) from Baykonur Cosmodrome carrying Cosmonauts Pavel R. Popovich, commander and veteran of the 12 Aug. 1962 Vostok 4 mission, and Yuri P. Artyukhin, flight engineer, to rendezvous with Salyut 3. The launch was seen by Soviet citizens by delayed broadcast on Moscow TV. The spacecraft entered orbit with a 338-km apogee, 201-km perigee, 89.9-min period, and 51.5° inclination. Maj. Gen. Vladimir A. Shatalov, chief of cosmonaut training, said during a 4 July Tass interview that the main objectives of the mission were "testing methods and systems of control-ling the craft, improvement in the life-sustaining complex, [and] exploration of new possibilities of using both separate craft and groups of space objects to accomplish scientific and applied tasks in a near-earth orbit." Tass also reported that a 4 July trajectory correction placed the spacecraft in an orbit with a 277-km apogee, 255-km perigee, 89.7-min period, and 51.6° inclination. All spacecraft systems were success-fully checked out and the crew was reported to be in good health.
The Soyuz 14 cosmonauts rendezvoused and docked with Salyut 3 on 5 July during their 17th orbit, successfully demonstrating techniques the Soviets would use during the July 1975 U.S.-U.S.S.R. Apollo Soyuz Test Project maneuvers. After docking, Popovich and Artyukhin checked the station's onboard systems and microclimate and entered the 99-cu-m three-room laboratory.
During their 15-day mission the cosmonauts studied geological-morphological objects on the earth's surface, atmospheric formations and phenomena, physical characteristics of outer space, and manufacturing techniques, as well as testing the Salyut space station's improved design and solar-panel energy system. The crew also studied the influences of space on the human organism and exercised to prevent loss of muscle tone, using an onboard comprehensive trainer to simulate running, jumping, and weight lifting.
Tass reported 15 July that some Soviet scientists considered terminating the mission because unexpected, intense solar flares 4-8 July dramatically increased the radiation exposure. However, because the flares subsided and the space station's orbit prevented excessive exposure, the crew's work was not disrupted.
While the cosmonauts worked in space, two Soviet researchers lived in a duplicate station on the ground, simultaneously performing the same work. All commands relayed to the orbiting Salyut 3 were first checked on the ground and alternate versions of decisions for unforeseen situations were calculated. On 8 July the U.S. Apollo Soyuz Test Project crew, in training at Star City for the joint U.S.-U.S.S.R. mission in 1975, telegraphed congratulations to the Salyut 3 cosmonauts on their "great success." They said they looked forward to meeting the two after their "happy return."
By 18 July the crew completed most experiments and began transferring equipment to Soyuz 14. After checking out spacecraft systems, the cosmonauts undocked 19 July. Retrorockets were fired, parachutes deployed, and Soyuz 14 softlanded at 5:21 pm Baykonur time (8:21 am EDT) 140 km southeast of Dzhezkazgan 2000 m from the planned target after 15 days 17 hours 30 min in space. The crew left the space-craft unaided, and on-the-spot medical checks showed the cosmonauts' health was "good." All mission tests were reported completed. For the first time, a U.S.S.R. orbital mission had been in touch with mission control continuously because of maritime tracking.
Salyut 3 was the third space station orbited by the U.S.S.R. Salyut 1 had been launched 19 April 1971. A three-man crew on Soyuz 10 docked with the station 24 April but returned to earth without entering. A second crew, launched 6 June 1971 aboard Soyuz 11, entered the orbiting station and conducted scientific experiments for 24 days. The three died during reentry when an open valve evacuated air from the spacecraft. Salyut 2 was launched into orbit 3 April 1973 but apparently an explosion or wildly firing thrusters sent the station out of control, tearing off the solar panels and making the station uninhabitable. (GSFC Wkly SSR, 20-26 June, 3-10 July 74; GSFC SSR, 30 June, 31 Aug 74; Tass, FBIS--Sov, 25 June-23 July 74; UPI, W Star-News, 14 July 74; Browne, NYT, 9,20 July 74; SBD, 9,27 July 74; A&A 1973)
25 June: A new flight research program, the NASA terminal-configured vehicle (TCV) program studying problems in aircraft operations near airports, was under way at Langley Research Center. A modified Boeing 737 flying laboratory with its advanced digital electronics equipment would be used to study present and future terminal-area operating environments, precision four-dimensional [longitude, latitude, altitude, time] flight paths, aircraft performance requirements, automatic systems, displays, and pilot workload. Particular emphasis would be given to the human factors and the interaction of crew members. Research tasks would include close-in, minimum noise, curved approaches to touchdown on a runway with zero visibility. Rollout after touchdown and high-speed turnoffs would also be investigated. (NASA Release 74-163)
25 June-3 July: President Nixon traveled to Brussels (25-26 June) to meet with the government heads of most of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries and then to Moscow (27 June-3 July) for a summit meeting with General Secretary Leonid L Brezhnev of the Soviet Communist Party's Central Committee. During the Moscow summit meeting, agreements were signed 28-29 June outlining U.S.-U.S.S.R. cooperation-including exchange of information and scientists-in the fields of energy, housing and other construction, heart research, economics, industry, and technology. In addition, two treaties were signed 3 July limiting antiballistic missile systems and underground nuclear weapon testing. Under the treaties, both countries agreed to one antiballistic missile site each rather than the two originally agreed on in the U.S.-U.S.S.R. treaty signed 26 May 1972, to prohibition of underground nuclear explosions above 150 kt, and to discussions on the dangers of environmental warfare. The treaties were sent to the Senate for ratification 19 Sept.
During a 2 July televised address to the Soviet people President Nixon said the joint Apollo Soyuz Test Project mission, scheduled for July 1975, was "symbolic of the new relationship we are building between our two nations" for several reasons. First, the rocket technology built for war was being used for peace. Second, during the mission the astronauts and cosmonauts would "join with one another-just as we are doing and must continue to do." Third, the newly standardized docking technology, making international space rescues possible, would make space travel safer "just as our new relationship can make life on earth safer for the people of both our countries." And, finally, because the process of "working and building together .. is the way that together we can build a . . . peace that will last." (PD, 8 July 74, 727-763; 23 Sept 74, 1170)
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