Soyuz TM-11

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Mission emblem
Mission emblem
Mission dates
Mission: Soyuz TM-11
COSPAR-ID : 1990-107A
Spacecraft: Soyuz 7K-ST ( GRAY index  11F732)
serial number 61
Dimensions: 7150 kg
Launcher: Soyuz U2 (GRAY index 11A511U2)
Call sign: Дербе́нт (" Derbent ")
Crew: 3
Begin: December 2, 1990, 08:13:32  UTC
Starting place: Baikonur 1/5
Space station: Me
Coupling: December 4, 1990, 09:57:09 UTC
Decoupling: May 26, 1991, 06:15:59 UTC
Landing: May 26, 1991, 10:04:13 UTC
Landing place: 68 km SE of Dzheskasgan
Flight duration: 175d 1h 50min 41s
Earth orbits: 2125
Rotation time : 92.2 min
Apogee : 400 km
Perigee : 367 km
◄ Before / After ►
Soyuz TM-10
(manned) 		Soyuz TM-12
(manned)

Soyuz TM-11 is the mission name for the flight of a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft to the Soviet Mir space station . It was the eleventh visit by a Soyuz spacecraft to the Mir space station and the 87th flight in the Soviet Soyuz program.

crew

Starting crew

Substitute team

Return team

  • Viktor Michailowitsch Afanassjew (1st space flight), commander
  • Mussa Chiramanowitsch Manarow (2nd space flight), flight engineer
  • Helen Patricia Sharman (1st Spaceflight), Science Cosmonaut ( UK )United KingdomUnited Kingdom 

Mission overview

Toyohiro Akiyama was the first space tourist who was allowed to fly into space for a fee. Akiyama's employer, Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) , paid $ 28 million for the flight. The start fairing and Soyuz boosters were painted with the Japanese flag and advertising. A camera in the descent module filmed the cosmonauts on arrival for the Japanese broadcaster.

The Soviet Union called it the first commercial spaceflight and announced that it made $ 14 million from it. The journalist had to broadcast a ten-minute TV broadcast and 20 minutes of radio reports every day. Incompatibilities in electrical systems and video equipment forced him to use many converters. His equipment weighed around 170 kilograms and had been brought in advance by Manakow and Strelakow on a Progress transport spaceship . On December 5, Akiyama was relocated to the Soyuz TM-10 spacecraft. On December 8th, Manakow and Strekalov began loading the descent module with films and test results. TBS filmed Akiyama's landing live from Kazakhstan.

Before the eighth permanent crew, there was an extensive renovation program on the Russian space station. Not only were electrical lines laid inside so that the entire electrical power of the solar cell surfaces can be used in each module, but also outboard work was necessary. First of all, on January 7, the repair of the hatch on the Kwant module was successful (5:18 h). Then a lattice structure for attaching solar cell panels (January 23, 5:04 a.m.) and a crane to move solar cell carriers (January 26, 6:20 a.m.) were installed. On April 25, also an antenna of the automatic approach system was price readjusted (3:30). The scientific work on board concerned the areas of earth exploration, biology, medicine and materials research. Supplies arrived at the station with the transport spacecraft Progress M-6 and M-7.

The Soyuz spacecraft remained docked at Mir station for 175 days.

See also

Web links