More than any other laboratory so far, Soliot 4 was the harbinger of the future - Mir and the International Space Station
On December 26, 1974, Soliot 4 was launched using the Proton H-1-D launcher. The flight path was 219-270 km, the angle of inclination 51.6 degrees and the length of the lap 89.1. subtlety. The purpose of the launch was to continue testing the laboratory's systems and equipment and to continue the technical and scientific research. The lab's telemetry signals are identical to those of Cosmos 557 and different from those of the previous labs.
On December 28, the duration of the lap was increased to 91.3 minutes and on December 30, the route was changed to a 350 km circular route.
On January 6, 1975, the route is 343-355 km, the angle of inclination is 51.6 degrees and the duration of the lap is 91.3 minutes.
On March 4, 1975, the route is 331-358 km, the angle of inclination is 51.6 degrees and the duration of the lap is 99.2 minutes.
On March 22, 1975, the route is 343-356 km, the angle of inclination is 51.6 degrees and the duration of the lap is 91.3 minutes.
On August 26, 1975, the route is 337-373 km, the angle of inclination is 51.6 degrees and the duration of the lap is 91.5 minutes.
On September 19, it was reported that in accordance with another research program, additional tests were made with high-power Roentgen radiation coming from the constellation Monoceros and the Filin Roentgen Spectrometer telescope was used. Simultaneously, optical observations were made on this subject from the Starnberg observatory.
On October 31, the route is 338-358 km, the angle of inclination is 51.6 degrees and the duration of the lap is 91.3 minutes. The Novosti agency said that the laboratory works according to a new plan. Soliot's systems, units and elements are tested individually under the conditions of a prolonged space flight.
On December 26, 1975, Soliot 4 completed one year in space. During her stay in space she carried out an important program in the field of her earthly observations. It transmitted a lot of information on scientific and economic issues in all seasons of the year. On March 14, 1976, the laboratory completed 7,000 laps and its trajectory was 323-356 km and the angle of inclination 51.6 degrees. All the laboratory systems operated as planned within the microclimate limits that were arranged in it before launch. Following three Soyuz spacecraft that were adjacent to it, Soliot 4's systems, units and elements were tested individually under the conditions of a prolonged space flight.
On September 20, 1976, Soliot 4 completed 10,000 orbits around the Earth. Between October 22 and 28, a new series of experiments was carried out in Soliot 4. The transmission frequency was the same as that of Soyuz. This frequency has not been used in the lab for 18 months. On October 24, the route was raised to 290-307. On February 2, 1977, the activity of Soliot 4 ended. According to a signal from the control center, it entered the atmosphere and burned up. She circled the Earth 12,188 times.
The structure of the laboratory
The weight of the laboratory is 18.5 tons. The laboratory has 1,300 devices and units with a total weight of 2.5. tone. In the laboratory there is a water reuse facility. The facility can freeze all the water that evaporates in the laboratory from the astronauts and the plants up to a capacity of one liter per person per day. The astronauts can drink this water and bathe in it. The medical equipment includes a moving belt whose dimensions are 0.4 meters by 0.9 meters, a bicycle - ergometer and two types of suits, one to prevent the accumulation of blood in the legs and the other for daily work that gives a feeling of strain to the muscles, both the moving belt and the everyday clothing are attached to elastic threads that create a sense of vertical effort up to for a maximum effort of 50 kg. The laboratory also has an "Oasis" system for growing vegetables as part of experiments related to long flights in the future.
All these devices came to prevent negative physiological effects such as the loss of calcium in the bones and the weakening of the muscles. And it is true that the Soyuz 17 pilots were in an uplifted mood during the flight and developed a feeling of strength.
Medical activity cycle
The medical activity is carried out in a cycle of four days. Three intensive days and one day for active rest. On the first day all the exercises are performed at high speed, on the second day the exercises are of short duration such as lifting weights, on the third day fitness exercises and on the fourth day each astronaut performs exercises freely. The Soyuz 17 pilots used only half the energy needed to do so on Earth.
Soyuz 17
On January 11, 1975, Soyuz 17 was launched with astronauts Alexey Gubarev, the flight commander, and Giorgi Grechko, the flight engineer. Soyuz 17 is identical to the Soyuz spacecraft that took part in the joint flight with the American Apollo spacecraft, but is not included in the preparations for this flight. The flight was conducted as part of the independent space program of the Soviet Union and its goals were:
1. Connect to Soliot 4, check the systems of the improved laboratory and perform joint experiments with it.
2. Conduct research on physical processes in space.
3. To test the control systems and the new life systems that have become standard in the Soyuz spacecraft.
4. To conduct morphological geological investigations and minerals of national economic interest.
5. To study atmospheric formations.
6. To carry out biomedical experiments - the effect of weightlessness on the human body.
7. Conduct biological experiments - these experiments include insects, microorganisms and plants.
8. Explore the sun, planets and stars.
First week, from January 11 to 17
January 11 - launch day. The spacecraft enters an orbit of 190-260 km and the inclination angle is 51.6 degrees. Then the spacecraft's engines were activated and changed its trajectory to 293-354 km. Another maneuver moved the spacecraft into a 350 km circular orbit. This is a pre-login maneuver. At the end of the seventh lap, it was reported that the astronauts had gotten used to the weightlessness.
January 12 - 30 hours after launch, Soyuz 17 connected with Soliot 4. At a distance of 4 km from the laboratory, Soyuz began automatic maneuvers and at a distance of 100 meters the maneuvers were manual. The connection was perfect. After logging in, the laboratory systems were checked. The astronauts entered it, ate and went to sleep. Guberev and Grechko were in their underwear at the time of the connection.
Medical telemetry received from the surveillance ship "Korlyov" was transmitted to Moscow via the Moleniya communication satellite, since at the time of connection (at that time the spacecraft and the laboratory were outside the reception area of the USSR) the heart rate and blood pressure were more normal than those measured during the pre-flight training. A simulator is used in these trainings. The height of the spacecraft and the laboratory at the time of connection was 350 km.
January 13 - The laboratory's systems and devices were checked. Soliot 4 was found to be in good condition and without a defect. Medical experiments were then carried out. The route is 342-355 km, the angle of inclination is 51.6 degrees and the duration of the lap is 91.3 degrees, a route that saves half of the fuel consumption of previous space laboratories. The Soyuz 17 flight was described as a normal work flight.
January 14 - The medical experiments done the previous day tired the astronauts and today they are resting.
January 15 - The astronauts installed a partition between the two spacecraft to prevent the air from drying out in the Soyuz. This is a new arrangement in Soliot promotions. Today Gubarev and Grechko finished testing the laboratory's systems. Today, experiments were conducted with new methods of navigation according to the sun, the moon and the planets. Biological experiments in insects, microorganisms and plants and medical experiments. They used the bicycle to study the internal effects of weightlessness. The conclusion was that the astronauts were healthy. The newspaper "Parvada" talked about a new phase in space exploration - prolonged space flights to test reactions to weightlessness.
January 16 - Astronomical experiments were conducted using two X-ray telescopes and the investigation of the Earth's upper atmosphere. The measurements of the upper atmosphere were made by measuring the temperature of this atmospheric layer and measuring neutral gases.
January 17 - Today it was reported that during the first four days of the flight, the astronauts suffered from difficulties in adapting to the conditions of space. The difficulties arose from the too many jobs that Guberev and Grechko took on. Only after four days in space did they adapt to the flight conditions. In the first week of the flight, the astronauts performed complete medical examinations. They measured their heart rate and took blood samples.
Second week, from January 18 to 24
January 19 - the route 335 - 340 km. Biological and astronomical experiments were conducted. The astronomical observations were made in coordination with an X-ray telescope and an X-radiometer to locate pulsars and neutron stars. Experiments with the solar telescope.
January 20 - botanical experiments were done in the garden, with peas (they started sprouting a week after they were planted) and other plants. Experiments with cultures of bacteria, fertilized frog eggs, fruit flies and samples of bamster tissues. X-ray observations (the telescope) were conducted towards a super nova in the constellation Vula. Infrared observations of Earth to determine the thermal profile of the atmosphere and measure the explosiveness of water vapor and other atmospheric components.
From January 22 to 24, the astronauts continued to perform technical and medical experiments. They examined methods to prevent the unpleasant effect of the blood flow in the body under conditions of weightlessness. On January 22, it was reported that Govarev and Grechko had gotten used to working as a team.
In the first two weeks of the flight, observations were made in the solar telescope, observations of the Crab Nebula in one of the two X-ray telescopes. Navigation and investigation of the suitability of the laboratory conditions for algae cultures and more developed plants and medical tests. The astronauts also found time to clean the laboratory.
Third week, from January 25 to 31
January 25 - the astronauts checked the systems, did exercises and rested.
January 26 - it was reported that the astronauts have completed all preparations for a press conference.
Fourth week, from February 1 to 7
February 1 - Gubarev said that it is a real pleasure to navigate Soliot 4 even though most of the complicated navigation operations are performed automatically. Within minutes, the small amount of fuel used is used to reorient the laboratory.
February 4 - repairs were made to the solar telescope. The astronauts covered the mirrors of the telescopes with a fresh reflective layer to prevent them from dimming due to the long exposure in space. The mirrors were covered with particles - microscopic fragments that fell from the wall of the laboratory, surrounded it in a kind of invisible cloud, stuck to the mirrors and had to be removed before using the reflective layer of the experiment. The operation of the instruments before being covered with a reflective layer and after being covered was compared after landing, with the hope of applying these lessons to future space telescopes. The repair of the telescope lasted several hours and was done in consultation with the members of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory who designed this telescope.
February 7 - report on the successful functioning of a water reuse facility. This water is so good that the astronauts could not distinguish it from normal water. As a result, it is possible to reduce the amount of water stored in the laboratory on the eve of launch. The astronauts are preparing for landing.
Thursday week, from February 8 to 14
February 8 - Housekeeping, cleaning the laboratory, packing equipment, storing it in Soyuz and shutting down the laboratory systems. The route is 334-361 km, the angle of inclination is 51.6 degrees and the length of the lap is 91.3 degrees.
February 9 - The astronauts complete the work they started on February 8. After a stay of 29 days, 13 hours and 20 minutes in space, Soyuz 17 landed. The landing took place 110 km northeast of Tselinograd in Kazakhstan. The weather conditions were difficult, the reception team located the spacecraft despite the poor visibility and the strong winds that were blowing in the area.
Guberev and Grechko landed safe and sound, their adaptation to gravity was good. They did not suffer from any disorders or illnesses during the flight, although towards the end they showed signs of fatigue. They were praised for their hard work and good mood.
The astronauts brought back to Israel various studies and photographic films. During the flight, psycholinguistic tests were performed on the astronauts' conversations to check their suitability and degree of desire to work. One of the most interesting and important experiments carried out in flight is a series of ultraviolet observations of certain sections of the Sun. These observations began on the 500th lap and continued for two weeks automatically. Only on the 16th day were these observations made manually to focus the spectrograph on certain items that appeared in the sun during the flight. Spectroscopic measurements have also been made on most elements in the Earth's ionosphere that are sensitive to the sun such as atomic oxygen. The botanical experiments were partially successful. Out of 20 pea seeds only four germinated.
The health of the astronauts after landing
During their flight Gubarev and Grechko lost weight. Near landing they were weighed. Gubarev lost 2.5 kg and Grechko 4.2 kg. A week later they returned to their weight and about two weeks after landing they felt very tired.
Soyuz 18
On April 5, 1975, Soyuz 18 was launched with the astronauts Vasily Lazarev and Oleg Makarov. They had to connect to Soliot 4, stay there for a month and continue the experiments of Soyuz 17. A malfunction in the third stage of the launcher (Vostok) canceled the flight. The malfunction occurred during the launch, the escape system was activated and the spacecraft made an emergency landing. The landing went safely and the landing place is West Siberia near Gornoaltiask.
On May 24, another attempt was made to launch Soyuz 18 and the launch was successful. This time other astronauts were launched and they are Piotr Kalmuk flight commander Vitaly Sebastinov flight engineer. This flight has nothing to do with the joint space flight with the Apollo spacecraft. As in the original plan, the goals were to carry out joint experiments with Soliot 4 and to continue the experiments of the Soyuz 17 pilots. During their stay in the laboratory, the astronauts had to make observations towards the Sun, the planets and other celestial bodies, make observations towards the Earth and atmospheric observations. They also had to find new methods of using a single spacecraft or a group of spacecraft in adjacent orbits.
May 24 - after the first two laps, the route was 193-247 km, the inclination angle 51.6 degrees and the duration of the lap 88.6 minutes. Later the route was changed to 347 336 km, the angle of inclination 51.59 degrees and the duration of the lap 91.34 minutes.
May 25 - Preparations were made for connecting with Soliot and a correction was made to the flight path. The route was 322-384 km, a route that would bring them exactly to connect with Soliot.
May 26 - connection with the space laboratory. Soyuz 18 began docking maneuvers on the 18th lap. The maneuvers are automatic. The spacecraft accelerated its speed and at a distance of 1,500 meters from the laboratory the spacecraft's computer showed that the speed was too great and it slowed down. From a distance of 800 meters the astronauts noticed the laboratory. Klimok said that he sees the laboratory lit by the sun. Soyuz 18 and Soliot 4 then passed to the dark side of Earth and Soyuz's lights were turned on. At a distance of 100 meters from the laboratory, Soyuz was manually maneuvered for the connection. The connection was made without help from Earth since the spacecraft and the space laboratory were out of range of Moscow.
Upon entering the laboratory, Klimok and Sebastianov found a greeting left for them by their predecessors: "Welcome to our common home." The laboratory was found to be normal. At the end of the laboratory test and after 14 hours of work, they went to sleep. The work was "hard and critical". Onion and pea seeds were planted in the laboratory today.
Technicians at the control center today directed a reflective laser beam in Soliot to determine the exact location of the laboratory and develop a satellite tracking method. Radio Moscow reported that the astronauts "will replace damaged parts of the laboratory equipment. Since the supply of water in the laboratory has not been replaced, the astronauts will use filters and different chemical substances so that it can be drunk."
May 27 - The equipment was prepared to carry out the tasks assigned to them and for initial biological experiments. The route is 344-356 km and the inclination angle is 51.6 degrees.
May 30 - biological experiments were conducted with insects and work in the garden.
May 31 - Earth and atmospheric observations were made.
June 2 - The Novosti agency reported that the astronauts made spectroscopic observations of the atmosphere in the European part of the Soviet Union, in the Transcaucasus and in northern Kazakhstan.
June 6 - Observations were made towards the sun. Today it was announced that the astronauts received excellent marks in navigation and poor marks in agricultural crops. Among 28 seeds of tiny pea plants that were planted on May 26, only 10 have germinated to date. Nothing was said about the onion. Yes flour beetles were raised.
June 9 - today the astronauts began a series of photographs of the Soviet Union. These photographs have an economic and scientific nature. To this end, a series of maneuvers developed for Soliot 4 at the beginning of the year was carried out with the laboratory.
June 16 and 17 - the behavior of the inactive gases and plasma in zero gravity was tested. Earthbound and astronomical observations were made. The astronomical observations were part of a plan to develop a new star navigation method.
June 18 - Unexpected activity in the sun forced the astronauts to change the work plan today according to an instruction from the ground and make observations towards the sun.
June 20 - The investigation of the cosmic radiation from the sun and the stars was conducted and navigation techniques were practiced.
June 24 - today it was announced that the flight may continue even during the space flight shared by the Russians and the Americans. Each flight is managed from a different control center.
July 16 - Klimok and Sebastianov made radio contact with Leonov and Kobsov, the pilots of Soyuz 19.
July 17 - Kalmimok and Sebastianov watch Apollo's docking maneuvers with Soyuz 19. Today it was reported that Soyuz 18 will land in a day or two.
July 19 - It was reported that the astronauts will land in two or three days.
July 20 - It was reported that the doctors will help the astronauts get used to gravity quickly.
July 22 - The astronauts photographed rare phenomena in space and began preparations for the landing that will take place in a few days. The route is 353-362 km, and the inclination angle is 51.6 degrees.
July 23 - today it was reported that Klimok and Basbastinov finished their mission.
July 24 - The astronauts checked the auxiliary engines of the landing mechanisms. The route is 349-369 km.
July 26 - landing
Soyuz 18 landed near the landing site of Soyuz 19. Its crew stayed in space for 62 days, 23 hours and 23 minutes. The astronauts exited the spaceship safely, although Klimok's gait was unsteady. Klimok and Sebastianov lost a little of their weight despite the massive use they made of the ergometer.
During the flight, medical experiments were conducted on a new reference stabilization system. It is a system with the highest accuracy over time. The importance of this system is in the natural precision of the experiments and in reducing the use of essential fuel in these cases to correct the spacecraft's attribution. Experiments were conducted in solar physics and X-ray astronomy.
The condition of the astronauts after landing
After landing, Klimok and Sebastianov covered a distance of 500 meters in 15 minutes and for several days they suffered from general weakness, dizziness, nausea and excessive sweating. Thanks to the lessons learned from the Soyuz 17 flight, they got used to gravity more quickly. It turned out that on the 16th day of the flight, Klimok lost 16% of the amount of hemoglobin in his body and Basbastinov 25%.
Soyuz 20
On November 17, 1975, Soyuz 20 was launched without astronauts. Its route was 198-262 km, the angle of inclination 51.6 degrees and the duration of the lap 88.6 minutes. After two course changes, she moved to a higher course 473-357 km. In the 11th lap, the route was lowered to 253-285 km. On the 22nd lap, the orbit was raised again to 326-357 km, a orbit beyond which the docking maneuvers with Soliot 4 come. On the 11th, Soyuz 29 connected with Soliot 4. The orbit was 343-367 km, inclination angle 51.6 degrees And the coffee lasted 91.4 minutes.
The goals of the flight were to improve changes introduced in the Soyuz in order to adapt the spacecraft to maneuvers and automatically connect to Soliot. "To check methods of structure and attachment to the space laboratory and to test the systems of the two spacecraft" The success of Soyuz 20 will determine whether the laboratory will be manned by the third one.
Close to the launch of Soyuz 20, it was announced by Stallov that a new model of the Soyuz spacecraft is being developed - a cargo spacecraft capable of connecting with Soliot of manned and unmanned spacecraft, to re-equip space laboratories and extend their lives. Fiokustiov told the TAS agency that this operation "opens up a real opportunity for more economic research". The spacecraft can be used to deliver scientific equipment, food and water to laboratory teams. This connection increases without a shadow of a doubt the safety of rescue flights on the runway.
A special place was devoted to biological experiments. There were animals and plants in the spaceship:
1. Turtles - check biological changes in flight.
2. Drosophil flies - to learn how the lack of weight affects their genetics, their growth and development.
3. Plant seeds, grain, legumes, bubles gladioli and casti which are in special packaging - to learn about changes in the molecular structure during the flight and how they are affected by cosmic radiation.
4. Microorganisms.
The results of the flight were later compared with the flight of Cosmos 782.
On February 15, 1976, the flight path was changed. A day after that, Soyuz 20 was separated from Soliot 4, circled the Earth 2.6 times and returned to Earth. The TAS agency said that "important results" were achieved in this flight. No attempt was made to refuel Soliot 4.
Soliot flights - interim summary
In a lecture given by Leoniev on April 1, 1976, the anniversary of Gagarin's flight, he reported that the Soliot laboratories carried out research and observations in the basic and applied sciences of the national economy. The latter subject includes cartography, geology, agriculture, forestry and hydrology.
