Soyuz T-15

USSR

Manned Flight nº: 115

Earth orbit Flight nº: 112

USSR Flight nº: 61

Launch & orbit data:

Designation 16643 / 86022A
Launch date - time 13 Mar 1986 - 12:33:09 UT
Launch site Baikonur, LC1/5
Launch vehicle  Soyuz 11A511U2 (s/n 012)
OKB name - S/N° Soyuz 7K-ST s/nº21L
Mass (kg) 7020
Flight Crew (EO-1) Kizim, Leonid (CDR)
Solovyov, Vladimir (FE)
Call Sign Mayak (Lighthouse )
Earth orbit on :
   - Perigee / Apogee 240 x 298 km
   - Inclination 51.6°
   - Period 91.5 min

Docking & landing data:

Docking date - time 15 Mar 1986 - 13:38:42 UT
Target spacecraft/port MIR/fore
Undocking date - time 05 May 1986 - 16:57:52 UT
Docking date - time 06 May 1986 - 16:57:52 UT
Target spacecraft/port Salyut 7/aft (transferred from Mir)
Undocking date - time 25 Jun 1986 - 14:58 UT
Docking date - time 26 Jun 1986 - 19:46 UT
Target spacecraft/port MIR
Undocking date - time 16 Jul 1986 - 09:09:50 UT
Deorbit burn date - time 
Recovery date - time 16 Jul 1986 - 12:34:05 UT
Landing location 51°N, 68°E
55 km northeast of Arkalyk
Flight Duration (crew + vehicle) 125d 00h 01m
Nbr orbits 1980


Launch Crew

Nr. Surname Given name Job Duration Orbits
1  Kizim  Leonid  Commander 125d 00h 01m  1980 
2  Soloviyov  Vladimir  Flight engineer 125d 00h 01m  1980 


Backup Crew

Nr. Name Job
1  Viktorenko, Aleksandr Stepanovich  Commander
2  Aleksandrov, Aleksandr Pavlovich  Flight engineer

Mission details

Mir Expedition EO-01; 1e docking with new space station MIR; from MIR the crew flew to Salyut 7 space station and stayed there for 50 days; then returning to MIR; first transfer from one space station to an other space station; Kizim and Soloviyov performed two EVA's while staying on Salyut 7 on 28.05.1986 (3h 50m) and 31.05.1986 (5h 00m), repairing heat, power and environmental control systems.
Salyut 7 frozen. The frozen interior of Salyut 7 that greeted the crew of the Soyuz T-15 repair mission. - Credit: RKK Energia.

Epic repair mission. Crew comprising ship's commander L D Kizim and flight engineer V A Solovyov first docked with the Mir orbital station to conduct scientific and technical studies and experiments. Mir then maneuvered 17 April to match Salyut 7 at 4000 km separation, then again on 4 May to catch up. After six weeks aboard Mir, Soyuz T-15 undocked on 5 May, then rendezvoused with the dead Salyut 7 station. Only docking to date by a single spacecraft with two space stations. After manual docking with inoperative Salyut 7, the station was found to be ice bound and without electrical power. Crew repaired the station, regaining power, heat, and environmental control. Removed experimental results left behind by last crew. Undocked Salyut 7 on 25 June, and redocked with Mir on 26 June. Recovered July 16, 1986 12:34 GMT.

  • No crew ever revisited Salyut 7; it made an uncontrolled reentry over Argentina.



    Mir from Soyuz

    Crew after recovery

    Astrophilately covers:

    Soyuz T15

    Launch cancel Baikonur, send registrated.

    		 Soyuz T15

    Cosmic Mail: Cover on board of Mir and Salyut 7, with black Salyut-7 and new Mir boardcancel, signed by Kizim and Solovyov. Note: only flight with boarding Mir and Salyut 7

    Ref.: #1, #7, #8, #16, #210 - update: 12.02.18 Home