free mode. Later analysis indicated that the right side of the orbital module had struck Mir two glancing blows 2 sec apart. The impact point was on Kristall, near its connection to the Mir base block. The cause of the impact was traced to a switch error: the hand controller in the orbital module which governed braking and acceleration was switched on, disabling the equivalent hand controller (the left motion control lever) in the descent module. Tsibliyev was able to use the right lever to steer Soyuz past Mir’s solar arrays, antennas, and docking ports after it became clear impact was inevitable.[1][2] |}
Soyuz-TM 18 | January 8-July 9, 1994 | |
Launch crew—Viktor Afanasyev, Yuri Usachyov, Valeri Polyakov Crew code name—Derbent Landing crew—Viktor Afanasyev, Yuri Usachyov |
Soyuz-TM 19 | July 1-November 4, 1994 | |
Launch crew–Yuri Malenchenko, Talgat Musabayev/Kazakhstan Landing crew–Yuri Malenchenko, Talgat Musabayev/Kazakhstan, Ulf Merbold/ESA Crew code name–Agat Commander Malenchenko and Flight Engineer Musabayev, spaceflight rookies, were to have been launched with veteran cosmonaut Gennadi Strekalov, who would have returned to Earth with Viktor Afanaseyev and Yuri Usachyov in Soyuz-TM 18 after a few days on Mir. However, cancellation of one of two Progress-M cargo ships scheduled to resupply Mir during the Agat crew’s stay meant Strekalov’s couch had to carry supplies. The result was an unusual all-rookie flight. Docking occurred without incident on July 3. On November 3, Musabayev, Malenchenko, and Merbold undocked in Soyuz-TM 19 and backed 190 m from Mir. They then activated the Kurs automatic approach system, which successfully redocked the spacecraft. The cosmonauts then transferred back to Mir. The test was related to the difficulties Soyuz-TM 20 and Progress-M 24 experienced during their automatic approaches. Final undocking and reentry the following day occurred without incident. |
Soyuz-TM 20 | October 3, 1994- | |
Launch crew–Alexandr Viktorenko, Yelena Kondakova, Ulf Merbold/ESA Landing crew– |
- ↑ Vadim Chernobrov, “Collision in Space,” Rossiyskiye Vesti, January 21, 1994, p. 8. Translated in JPRS Report, Science & Technology, Central Eurasia, March 22, 1994 (JPRS-USP-94-003), pp. 1-2.
- ↑ Debra D. Faktor and Daniel Van Hulle, ANSER Moscow Office Report, #79, May 13, 1994, pp. 2-5. Report incorporates TsUP-provided information “for completeness.”