Home - Search - Browse - Alphabetic Index: 0- 1- 2- 3- 4- 5- 6- 7- 8- 9
A- B- C- D- E- F- G- H- I- J- K- L- M- N- O- P- Q- R- S- T- U- V- W- X- Y- Z

---

Soyuz TM-3

---

AKA: Soyuz TM-3 (Aleksandrov);Vityaz (Knight). Launched: 1987-07-22. Returned: 1987-12-29. Number crew: 1 . Duration: 160.30 days.

A P Aleksandrov was transported to the Mir orbital space station aboard Soyuz TM-3 with a Soviet-Syrian crew comprising cosmonauts A S Viktorenko and M A Faris. Soyuz TM-3 maneuvered from initial 231 X 217 km orbit to Mir's 311 X 359 km orbit and docked with the rear Mir port at 3:30 GMT 24 July.

Narrative (adapted from D S F Portree's Mir Hardware Heritage, NASA RP-1357, 1995)

Soyuz TM-3 arrived at the station and docked to the aft Kvant port. It would remained docked to the station from July 22-December 29, 1987. The Visiting Expedition observed Syria and conducted materials processing experiments. Syrian guest cosmonaut Mohammed Faris and Soviet cosmonaut Alexandr Viktorenko returned to Earth in Soyuz TM-2 with Alexandr Laveykin, who was diagnosed by ground-based doctors as having minor heart problems. He was replaced by Alexandr Alexandrov, who had arrived aboard Soyuz TM-3.

The crew entered Soyuz TM-3 on 30 July and flew it around to the forward port of the station, clearing the aft port for the next logistics flight. The Progress 31 remained docked to the aft port of the station from August 5-September 21, 1987. On August 10 the astrophysical instruments on Kvant became the first to detect X-rays from Supernova 1987a. On August 31 the cosmonauts conducted a preplanned emergency evacuation drill, retreating to Soyuz TM-3.

Progress 32 arrived at the station and remained docked to Kvant's aft port from September 26-November 17, 1987. At 0409 UT on November 6, Progress 32 backed away from Mir to 2.5 km. It redocked at 0547 UT, in a test designed to study ways of reducing the amount of fuel used during approach and docking operations. It was replaced by Progress 33 from November 23-December 19, 1987

By late in the year, investigators in Britain and Holland noted sporadic problems with their TTM wide-angle X-ray camera and with ESA's Sirene 2 gas-scintillation proportional counter. They queried the TsUP in Moscow as to whether crew activity could be causing interference with the instruments. Cosmos 1897, was a communications relay satellite of the Altair/SR series, designed to increase the amount of time Mir could be in touch with the TsUP on each orbit. It was launched on November 26 and stationed in geosynchronous orbit at 95 deg E. At the same time, fatigue had reduced the cosmonauts' workday to 4.5 hr.

Soyuz TM-4 docked with Mir at 12:51 GMT 23 December. It brought the EO-3 crew together with Buran test pilot Levchenko on a space indoctrination flight. Romanenko and Aleksandrov returned aboard Soyuz TM-3 together with Levchenko on December 29, 1987 09:16 GMT. They landed near Arkalyk. Romanenko had set a new space duration record.

• Soyuz TM-3 - . Call Sign: Vityaz (Knight ). Crew: Aleksandrov, Faris, Viktorenko. Backup Crew: Habib, Savinykh, Solovyov. Payload: Soyuz TM s/n 53. Mass: 7,100 kg (15,600 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Program: Mir. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TM-2, Soyuz TM-2 Mir LD-1, Soyuz TM-3, Soyuz TM-3 Mir EP-1. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz TM. Duration: 160.30 days. Decay Date: 1987-12-29 . USAF Sat Cat: 18222 . COSPAR: 1987-063A. Apogee: 353 km (219 mi). Perigee: 297 km (184 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.00 min.

  Manned three crew. Transported to the Mir orbital space station a Soviet-Syrian crew comprising cosmonauts A S Viktorenko, A P Aleksandrov and M A Faris to conduct joint research and experiments with cosmonauts Y Romanenko and A Laveykin. Maneuvered from initial 231 X 217 km orbit to Mir's 311 X 359 km orbit. Docked with rear Mir port at 3:30 GMT 24 July. Undocked with rear port 30 July and docked to forward port.

• Landing of Soyuz TM-2 - . Return Crew: Faris, Laveykin, Viktorenko. Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Faris, Laveykin, Viktorenko. Program: Mir. Flight: Soyuz TM-2, Soyuz TM-2 Mir LD-1, Soyuz TM-3, Soyuz TM-3 Mir EP-1. Undocked from Mir at 8:34 GMT on 29 July. The Orbital Module was jettisoned before retrofire and left in a 308 X 356 orbit. Soyuz TM-2 landed at 01:05 GMT with the crew of Faris, Laveykin and Viktorenko aboard..

• Progress 31 - . Payload: Progress s/n 138. Mass: 7,212 kg (15,899 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Program: Mir. Class: Manned. Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TM-2 Mir LD-1, Soyuz TM-3. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Progress. Duration: 50.18 days. Completed Operations Date: 1987-09-24 01:01:49 . Decay Date: 1987-09-24 01:01:49 . USAF Sat Cat: 18283 . COSPAR: 1987-066A. Apogee: 250 km (150 mi). Perigee: 187 km (116 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 88.90 min.

  Unmanned resupply vessel to Mir. Rendezvous transfer orbits 187 X 250 km, 51. 64 deg; 266 X 314 km; 309 X 360 km. Docked with Mir on 5 Aug 1987 22:27:35 GMT. Refueled Mir propellants tanks on 15/16 Sept. Undocked on 21 Sep 1987 23:57:41 GMT. Destroyed in reentry on 23 Sep 1987 01:02:00 GMT. Total free-flight time 3.12 days. Total docked time 47.06 days.

• Progress 32 - . Payload: Progress s/n 139. Mass: 7,035 kg (15,509 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Program: Mir. Class: Manned. Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TM-2 Mir LD-1, Soyuz TM-3. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Progress. Duration: 55.98 days. Completed Operations Date: 1987-11-19 23:19:51 . Decay Date: 1987-11-19 23:19:51 . USAF Sat Cat: 18376 . COSPAR: 1987-082A. Apogee: 355 km (220 mi). Perigee: 295 km (183 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.00 min.

  Unmanned resupply vessel to Mir. Delivered 850 kg propellants, 315 kg food, 2,000 kg total. Docked with Mir on 26 Sep 1987 01:08:15 GMT. Undocked on 10 Nov 1987 04:09:10 GMT. Redocked from 2,500 m on 10 Nov 1987 05:47 GMT. Undocked again 17 Nov 1998 19:25 GMT. Destroyed in reentry on 19 Nov 1987 00:58:00 GMT. Total free-flight time 3.17 days. Total docked time 52.82 days.

• Progress 33 - . Payload: Progress s/n 140. Mass: 6,895 kg (15,200 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Program: Mir. Class: Manned. Type: Manned logistics spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TM-2 Mir LD-1, Soyuz TM-3. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Progress. Duration: 28.58 days. Completed Operations Date: 1987-12-20 13:36:48 . Decay Date: 1987-12-20 13:36:48 . USAF Sat Cat: 18568 . COSPAR: 1987-094A. Apogee: 343 km (213 mi). Perigee: 326 km (202 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.20 min.

  Unmanned resupply vessel to Mir. Space station orbit at rendezvous was 326 km x 343 km. Docked on 23 Nov 1987 01:39:13 GMT. Undocked on 19 Dec 1987 08:15:46 GMT. Destroyed in reentry on 19 Dec 1987 13:37:00 GMT. Total free-flight time 2.30 days. Total docked time 26.28 days.

• Soyuz TM-4 - . Call Sign: Okean (Ocean ). Crew: Levchenko, Manarov, Titov, Vladimir. Backup Crew: Kaleri, Shchukin, Volkov, Aleksandr. Payload: Soyuz TM s/n 54. Mass: 7,070 kg (15,580 lb). Nation: Russia. Agency: MOM. Program: Mir. Class: Manned. Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz TM-2 Mir LD-1, Soyuz TM-3, Soyuz TM-4, Soyuz TM-4 LII-1. Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz. Spacecraft: Soyuz TM. Duration: 178.95 days. Decay Date: 1988-06-17 . USAF Sat Cat: 18699 . COSPAR: 1987-104A. Apogee: 357 km (221 mi). Perigee: 337 km (209 mi). Inclination: 51.60 deg. Period: 91.50 min. Mir Expedition EO-03. Carried Musa Manarov, Anatoly Levchenko, Vladimir Titov to Mir; returned crew of Soyuz TM-5 to Earth. Orbits 168 x 243 km, 255 x 296 km, 333 x 359 km. Docked with Mir 12:51 GMT 23 December. 30 December moved to forward port..

• Landing of Soyuz TM-3 - . Return Crew: Aleksandrov, Levchenko, Romanenko. Nation: Russia. Related Persons: Aleksandrov, Levchenko, Romanenko. Program: Mir. Flight: Soyuz TM-2 Mir LD-1, Soyuz TM-3, Soyuz TM-4, Soyuz TM-4 LII-1. Soyuz TM-3 undocked from Mir at 05:55 GMT and landed near Arkalyk at 09:16 GMT with the crew of Aleksandrov, Levchenko (Soyuz TM-4) and Romanenko (Soyuz TM-2) aboard..