Soyuz 11 was a Soviet space mission that made history as the first and only crewed mission to board the world’s first space station, Salyut 1, in 1971. The mission was a remarkable achievement for the Soviet space program, as the crew spent 23 days in orbit, conducting various scientific experiments and breaking the world record for the longest spaceflight at the time. However, the mission also ended in a tragic disaster, as the crew capsule depressurized during the re-entry, killing the three cosmonauts on board. The Soyuz 11 crew are the only humans to have died in space. In this post, we will explain the background, objectives, events, and outcomes of the Soyuz 11 mission.

The Background of the Soyuz 11 Mission

The Soyuz 11 mission was part of the Soviet program to launch and operate the first space station, Salyut 1, which was approved in 1969 in response to the American Apollo lunar landing. The Soviet leadership wanted to demonstrate their superiority in space by achieving long-duration orbital missions and conducting scientific research in microgravity. The Salyut 1 station was based on a military design called Almaz, which was originally intended to spy on the Earth from orbit. The station was equipped with various instruments, such as a telescope, a spectrometer, a camera, and a furnace, to perform astronomical, biological, and material science experiments.

The Salyut 1 station was launched on April 19, 1971, by a Proton rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The station reached a 200 x 222 km orbit and was checked out for the arrival of the cosmonaut crews. The first crew to attempt to dock with the station was Soyuz 10, which was launched on April 22, 1971. However, the docking failed due to a faulty mechanism, and the crew had to return to Earth after two days in orbit. The second crew to try to dock with the station was Soyuz 11, which was launched on June 6, 1971.

The Objectives of the Soyuz 11 Mission

The Soyuz 11 mission had several objectives, such as:

To dock with the Salyut 1 station and enter it for the first time

To test the station’s systems and equipment and perform maintenance if needed

To conduct various scientific experiments on board the station, such as observing the Sun, the Earth, and the stars, studying the effects of microgravity on plants, animals, and humans, and testing new materials and technologies

To demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of long-duration spaceflight and space station operations

To establish a record for the longest spaceflight and the longest stay in a space station

The Soyuz 11 crew consisted of three cosmonauts: Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor Patsayev. Dobrovolsky was the commander of the mission, Volkov was the flight engineer, and Patsayev was the research engineer. The crew used the callsign Yantar, which means Amber in Russian. The crew was originally the backup crew, but they replaced the prime crew four days before launch due to a medical issue with one of the prime crew members.

The Events of the Soyuz 11 Mission

The Soyuz 11 spacecraft was launched on June 6, 1971, at 04:55 GMT, by a Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. The spacecraft reached orbit and performed a series of maneuvers to rendezvous and dock with the Salyut 1 station, which was orbiting at an altitude of about 200 km. The docking was successful, and the crew entered the station for the first time on June 7, 1971, at 01:50 GMT. The crew was welcomed by a recorded message from the Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, who congratulated them on their historic achievement.

The crew spent 23 days in orbit, living and working in the Salyut 1 station. The crew performed various tasks, such as checking the station’s systems and equipment, performing repairs and adjustments, and conducting scientific experiments. The crew also communicated with the ground control and the media, and received messages and gifts from their families and friends. The crew celebrated two birthdays in orbit: Volkov’s on June 23 and Patsayev’s on June 19. The crew also received a phone call from the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, who wished them well and expressed his admiration for their mission.

The crew’s scientific experiments included observing the Sun, the Earth, and the stars with the station’s telescope, studying the effects of microgravity on plants, animals, and humans, and testing new materials and technologies. The crew also performed physical exercises and medical tests to monitor their health and fitness. The crew collected valuable data and samples, which they stored in the station for later retrieval. The crew also took photographs and videos of their activities and the views from the station.

The crew’s mission was originally planned to last for 30 days, but it was cut short due to a problem with the station’s orientation system, which affected its power supply and temperature control. The ground control decided to end the mission and return the crew to Earth on June 29, 1971. The crew packed their belongings and transferred to the Soyuz 11 spacecraft, which was attached to the station. The crew undocked from the station at 18:28 GMT and performed a deorbit burn at 22:35 GMT. The spacecraft began to re-enter the Earth’s atmosphere and deployed its parachutes. The spacecraft landed on the steppes of Kazakhstan at 23:16 GMT, near the town of Karazhal. The recovery teams arrived at the landing site and opened the hatch of the spacecraft. They expected to see the crew alive and well, but they were shocked and devastated by what they found.

The Outcomes of the Soyuz 11 Mission

The Soyuz 11 crew were dead. They had suffocated due to a loss of air pressure in the spacecraft during the re-entry. The cause of the depressurization was a faulty valve that opened prematurely, allowing the air to escape from the spacecraft. The crew were wearing only light pressure suits, which were not enough to protect them from the vacuum of space. The crew had no time to react or to activate the emergency oxygen supply. The crew died within seconds, without any signs of pain or distress. The crew’s bodies were recovered and taken to Moscow for autopsy and investigation. The crew were given a state funeral and buried in the Kremlin Wall Necropolis, next to other Soviet heroes.

The Soyuz 11 tragedy was a huge blow to the Soviet space program and the public. The mission was a great success, but it ended in a terrible disaster. The mission was a space triumph and tragedy. The mission revealed the dangers and risks of spaceflight and the need for better safety measures and equipment. The mission also inspired and motivated the Soviet space program to continue and improve its efforts and achievements in space exploration and research.

The Soyuz 11 mission had several impacts and implications, such as:

The mission established a record for the longest spaceflight and the longest stay in a space station, which was not broken until 1974 by the Soyuz 16 crew, who spent 84 days in orbit.

The mission was the first and only crewed mission to board the Salyut 1 station, which was abandoned after the Soyuz 11 tragedy and deorbited in 1972.

The mission was the last mission to use the Soyuz 7K-OKS spacecraft, which was modified and upgraded to the Soyuz 7K-T spacecraft, which had a more reliable valve system and a capacity for only two cosmonauts, who wore full pressure suits during launch and re-entry.

The mission was the last mission to fly a three-person crew until 1980, when the Soyuz T spacecraft was introduced, which had a capacity for three cosmonauts, who wore partial pressure suits during launch and re-entry.

The mission was the last mission to fly without a mission control physician, who was added to the ground control team after the Soyuz 11 tragedy to monitor the health and well-being of the cosmonauts in orbit.

The mission was the last mission to fly without a flight data recorder, which was installed in the Soyuz spacecraft after the Soyuz 11 tragedy to record the vital parameters and events of the spacecraft and the crew during the mission.

The mission was the last mission to fly without an escape system, which was developed and tested for the Soyuz spacecraft after the Soyuz 11 tragedy to provide the crew with a means of escape in case of an emergency during launch or re-entry.

Conclusion

The Soyuz 11 mission was a Soviet space mission that made history as the first and only crewed mission to board the world’s first space station, Salyut 1, in 1971. The mission was a remarkable achievement for the Soviet space program, as the crew spent 23 days in orbit, conducting various scientific experiments and breaking the world record for the longest spaceflight at the time. However, the mission also ended in a tragic disaster, as the crew capsule depressurized during the re-entry, killing the three cosmonauts on board.

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