Mar 22 1981
From The Space Library
The Soviet Union launched Soyuz 39 from the Baykonur cosmodrome at 5:59 p.m. Moscow time to link with the orbiting Salyut 6 Soyuz T-4 complex. Tass said that the Progress 12 cargo ship had undocked March 19 after being filled with discarded equipment to replace the supplies it brought and on March 20 had entered the atmosphere over the Pacific where it "ceased to exist." The crew of Soyuz 39 were veteran cosmonaut Vladimir Dzhanibekov as commander and the first citizen of Mongolia to fly in space, Jugderdemidyn Gurragcha, as researcher and "101st spaceman of the world." They would join Vladimir Kovalenok and Viktor Savinykh already aboard the orbiting complex.
Tass said that the launch commemorated the 60th anniversary of the revolution of the Mongolian People's Republic, 10th nation to participate in manned spaceflight. United Press International (UPI) said that it was in honor of the 20th anniversary of launching Yuri A. Gagarin, first man into space, on April 12, 1961. (FBIS, Tass in English, Mar 22/81; UPI, in W Star, May 23/81, A-8)
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