Soyuz TM-13

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Mission emblem
Mission emblem
Mission dates
Mission: Soyuz TM-13
COSPAR-ID : 1991-069A
Spacecraft: Soyuz 7K-ST ( GRAY index  11F732)
serial number 63
Dimensions: 7150 kg
Launcher: Soyuz U2 (GRAY index 11A511U2)
Call sign: Donbas
Crew: 3
Begin: October 2, 1991, 05:59  UTC
Starting place: Baikonur 1/5
Space station: Me
Coupling: October 4, 1991, 7:42 am
Decoupling: March 25, 1992, 05:26
Landing: March 25, 1992, 8:52 am
Landing place: 85 km northeast of Arkalyk
Flight duration: 175d 2h 53min
Rotation time : 92.4 min
Apogee : 232 km
Perigee : 195 km
◄ Before / After ►
Soyuz TM-12
(manned) 		Soyuz TM-14
(manned)

Soyuz TM-13 is the mission name for the flight of a Soviet or Russian Soyuz spacecraft to the Mir space station from October 2, 1991 to March 26, 1992. During the stay at Mir, the Soviet Union was dissolved.

Soyuz TM-13 was the 13th visit by a Soyuz spacecraft to the Mir space station and the 89th flight in the Soviet Soyuz program. Crew member Franz Viehböck was the first and so far only Austrian in space.

crew

Starting crew

Substitute team

Return team

Mission history

Franz Viehböck first completed the extensive Austrian research program on board, for which numerous pieces of equipment had already been brought to the Mir space station. It included medical examinations on blood pressure and blood circulation regulation as well as the distribution of blood flows in weightlessness (experiment "Pulstrans"), to determine the influence of weightlessness on microvibrations on the arm using a specially developed non-invasive sensor jacket and to find out about the functioning of the arm and Leg muscles ("Mikrovib" experiment). The knowledge gained was intended to improve knowledge about the basic functions of the human body and were not aimed at cosmic applications. The "Audimir" experiments also contributed to researching the ability to orientate people through sounds and investigations into blood composition and lung function.

The physical experiment "Logion", in which the functionality of liquid metal field ion emitters was studied under space conditions, attracted particular attention. Such field ion emitters are intended to prevent voltage flashovers, which up to now have often led to failures in the energy supply of spacecraft. Both ESA and NASA are interested in the technical devices developed for this purpose (mass spectrometer, on-board computer, ion microscope). Further experiments within the scope of the Austromir program concerned remote sensing with a special camera and a multi-channel spectrometer (experiment "Fem"), data acquisition, storage and transmission via the communication unit "Datamir" as well as video conferences and amateur radio contacts with schools in Austria and the Soviet Union . Some of the experiments were continued by the regular crew (Volkov, Krikalev).

In addition, the two long-term cosmonauts devoted themselves to material science, biological and astronomical investigations (investigations of X-ray sources, e.g. Cygnus X-1 and SN Cassiopeia A). The SPLAW melting plant was used to produce high-purity monocrystals and the TAWRIJA plant was used to obtain high-purity, biologically active substances that are to be used in the production of medicines, in the food industry and in genetic research. The cosmonauts also successfully tested a semi-industrial plant for breeding new feed antibiotics (experiment "Robot"). During a seven-hour spacecraft mission on February 20, 1992, Krikaljow installed various devices and auxiliary structures on the 14-meter-long SOFORA mast. He also dismantled some lenses, several segments from a solar cell surface and four plates with which new temperature-resistant coatings had been tested. Due to overheating problems with Volkov's space suit, he had to return to the station early.

The tenth regular crew of the Mir space station received supplies of supply and research material via the transport spaceships Progress M-10 and M-11. Progress M-10 had a VBK-Raduga landing apparatus with which 350 kg of research material were transported to Earth. The Soyuz TM-13 spacecraft landed on March 25, 1992 with the Volkow / Krikaljow / Flade crew (5th German in space).

See also

Web links