The plan is to send a Russian team to the laboratory, followed by a mixed Russian-Polish team and later the East German astronaut Sigmund Jan
Updates from April 1978
On April 18, Vladimir Shatalov, the director of the training department, said that a Polish astronaut will participate in the second stage of Soliot 6 this year. The astronaut's training and preparations for this stage ended shortly before the delivery of this press release. The plan is to send a Russian team to the laboratory, followed by a mixed Russian-Polish team. Boris Petrov confirmed at a press conference that an East German astronaut will also participate in a space flight this year.
Soyuz 29 - Soyuz 31
On June 16, 1978, Soyuz 29 was launched with the astronauts Vladimir Kovalnok, the flight commander, and Alexander Ivchenko, the flight engineer. They had to connect to Soliot 6 and continue the experiments performed by Soyuz 26, Soyuz 27 and Soyuz 28 pilots.
The work plan included:
1. Observations towards the Earth
2. Observations towards the atmosphere
3. Observations towards the sun
4. Astronomical observations
5. Biomedical tests, including the astronauts' tolerance to space conditions
6. Biological studies
6. Testing the laboratory's systems
7. Metallurgical experiments
The astronauts were provided with better food than their colleagues on the previous flights. The meat was sealed in containers and the rest of the food was packed in plastic packaging. The amount of food they received per day was 3,200 calories, in contrast to the standard ration of 2,900 calories per day on the previous flights. The experience gained by Romananjo and Grechko encouraged the current team to use load-bearing suits to a large extent, to overcome problems of loss of tension in the muscles and vascular system. The schedule for work and rest is significantly different.
First week, from June 6 to 22
June 16 - launch
June 17 - 26 hours after launch, Soyuz 29 latched onto Soliot 6. The orbit of the Soliot 6 and Soyuz 29 combination was 339 - 353 km and the inclination angle 51.6 degrees. The astronauts entered the laboratory and activated its systems. Medical tests showed that they feel well. The attachment was to the front opening.
June 18 - A fan that broke down was replaced in the facility for metallurgical experiments -Splav-01 and the astronauts began their experiments.
June 19 - It was reported that the astronauts work at a rate of 15 hours per day and have begun preparations for their stay in the laboratory.
Second week, from June 23 to 29
June 25 - The metallurgical experiments continued.
June 26 - The series of metallurgical experiments ended.
June 27 - Soyuz 30 set off with the astronauts Piotr Kalmuk, commander of the Tiva, and Miroslaw Gramszewski, a Polish astronaut. They had to connect to Soliot 6, carry out their own work plan and conduct joint experiments with Kovalnok and Ivchenko. The planned stay in Soliot is six days.
June 28 - 26 hours after launch, Soyuz 30 docked with Soliot 6. Its pilots brought Kovalnok and Ivchenko telegrams, newspapers, letters from their families and gifts. The attachment is to the back door of the laboratory. Today the Sirena metallurgical experiment was carried out. The goal is to produce a semiconductor from cadmium, thallium and mercury under conditions of weightlessness.
Third week, from June 30 to July 6
July 3 - Both teams performed metallurgical experiments with the Splav-01 device.
July 4th - Kalmuk and Grameshbaki finished their last experiments today and began preparing to return to Israel. They returned metallurgical experiments carried out on July 3, photographic films, correspondence and biomedical samples. The joint work included intensive biological and medical experiments, infrared astronomical observations and observations towards the Earth in order to search for minerals in Poland. At the same time identical observations were made from the ground and from airplanes and a comprehensive technical survey of the functioning of the space laboratory was conducted.
July 5 - Kalmuk and Grameshevsky landed. Landing place 300 km west of Tselinograd, Kazakhstan. In addition to the scientific material, they also brought with them letters from their colleagues, who remained in the laboratory to finish their task. It was reported that Kalmuk and Grameshevsky completed their program successfully and felt good. Kalmok and Grameshevsky stayed in the laboratory for six days and 17 hours.
Fourth week, from July 7 to 13
July 7 - Progress 2 was launched. She had to attach to Soliot 6 and bring the pilot fuel, oxygen, food, water, clothing and research instruments with a total weight of more than a ton. The weight of the fuel is 600 kg. One of the research instruments is the crystal for creating glass. The device was placed in the front compartment of the laboratory.
July 9 - 49 hours and 33 minutes after the launch of Progress 2 to the Soliot, the attachment to the rear hatch was made.
Thursday week, from July 14 to 20
July 14 - Cardiovascular tests were conducted today. Most of the equipment from Progress 2 has already been transferred to Soliot. During the whole week, experiments were conducted in the Kristall device and they created a pure monochromatic crystal of gallium - arsenide, an important compound for creating high quality solar cells.
Friday week, from July 21 to 27
July 21 - the refueling of the laboratory was completed. Refueling was done automatically under supervision from the ground, so the astronauts were free to continue their routine work.
Seventh week, from July 28 to August 3
July 29 - Alexander Ivchenko and Vladimir Kovalnok left the laboratory today and stayed outside it for 5 hours and 26 minutes. During their work, they removed from the outer walls of the laboratory cassettes carrying biopolymer material: radiation counters, micro meteoroid detectors and optical and metallic materials that were returned to Israel after the flight. The division of labor was such that Ivchenko performed the work of removal and Kovalnuk was an assistant against him. Ivchenko tested the hook devices in different parts of the lab so they could be worked on. Their spacesuits similar to those used by the Soyuz XNUMX pilots were also tested. New research instruments were placed in place of the removed ones.
Kovalnuk photographed his colleague during his work with a color television camera. To take the photographs Kovalnuk positioned himself in the front part of the laboratory. The footage was later broadcast on television. External spotlights illuminated the astronauts' workspace as the space lab entered Earth's shadow. They completed their work ahead of time and defied an order from the control center to return to the lab. at the end of their work. This guidance was due to the fact that this was the first time since the cause that they were outside of it. They entered the lab as it entered Earth's shadow over the Pacific Ocean.
August 2 - Progress 2 was disconnected from the laboratory. Until it burned up in the atmosphere, technical experiments were carried out on it.
Eighth week, from August 4 to 10
August 4 - At the end of the experiments with the Crystal device, the trajectory of the Soliot 6 and Soyuz 29 combination was changed.
August 5 - Progress 2 entered the atmosphere and burned up over the Pacific Ocean.
August 8 - Progress 3 was launched, containing supplies for 50 days with a total weight of over a ton, which included 280 kg of food, 190 kg of water, 450 kg of compressed oxygen and devices for its delivery. The rest of the supply consisted of experiments, new research, mail, and a guitar sent at Ivchenko's request so he could relieve his boredom. The payload of the spacecraft is more or less the same as that of Progress 2. The new experiments and research included cassettes containing material for metallurgical experiments (alloy and semiconductor production), equipment for space photography, and medical and biological materials.
August 10 - Progress 3 stuck to the back door of the laboratory.
Fikostikov said in a press interview that two astronauts manning the laboratory need a dose of 20-30 kg of supplies per day (food, water and oxygen) and a one-year stay requires the supply of 10 tons of these supplies.
Ninth week, from August 11 to 17
August 13 - The astronauts kept morale up in different ways: they watched television programs with the help of a VCR that was in the lab and listened to several newscasts a day. However, in the long term, persistent depression may be a serious problem during a prolonged stay in space. In an article by Russian Deputy Minister of Health Evadlin and former astronaut Alexey Yalisayev published in Pravda, it is stated: "It turns out that a prolonged stay in a narrow and closed place of residence, as well as a prolonged disconnection from the terrestrial environment, can cause changes in the human psyche. A bad mood and indifference towards the tasks assigned to the astronauts in space are a direct result of being in isolation. This situation could be a disaster for the astronauts and the entire operation." Therefore, the space scientists gave first priority to research in the field of "psychology of the cosmos" and began to apply some of the results of the research to improve the mood of Kovalnok and Avachenko. One of the methods was to adapt everything in the laboratory: food, drinks, music and movies to the personal taste of the astronauts, as well as gymnastics exercises and physical training were adapted to each person's personality. The astronauts also had a rich library at their disposal.
August 16 - the third month of their stay in space, the astronauts began medical tests - heart muscle contraction and blood circulation.
On August 17 - the engines of Progress 3 were activated and the orbit of the Soyuz 29, Soliot 6 and Progress 3 combination was increased to 343-359 km.
Tenth week, from August 18 to 24
August 22 - Progress 3 was disconnected from the laboratory. Before disconnection, it was loaded with laboratory waste.
August 24 - Progress 3 burned up in the atmosphere over the Atlantic Ocean.
Eleventh week, from August 25 to 31
August 26 - Soyuz 31 was launched with the astronauts Valery Bikovsky and the East German astronaut Sigmund Yen. Pilots brought Ivchenko and Kovalnok newspapers, books, gifts (including a stuffed bear cub). The scientific equipment included a special camera for photographing the Earth jointly developed by the Soviet Union and East Germany. Bikowski and Winn's work plan included observations towards the Earth and medical examinations. Their work program in the laboratory was one week.
August 27 - Soyuz 31 stuck to the rear hatch of Soliot.
August 28 - Bikovsky and Vin started their work today, taking pictures and conducting medical experiments.
August 29 - Since Bikovsky and Wien had to return in the Soyuz 29 spacecraft, systems were exchanged between Soyuz 29 and Soyuz 31. The seats of the spacecraft were swapped against each other.
August 31 - The four astronauts tested each other's sense of taste to learn what the effect of life in space is on the human senses. Observations were made towards the Earth with the MKF-6M camera.
Twelfth week, from September 1 to 7
September 3 - Gramszewski and Vin landed in the Soyuz 29 spacecraft. The landing was 140 km southeast of Dzhazkazan. After landing, it was reported that the astronauts were feeling well and had completed their tasks. The tasks of this team included photographs, medical experiments, studying geological characteristics of the South Pole, experiments with micro-organisms and studying the properties of organic polymers (these two experiments were given high priority), studying biological processes in the living cell, growing semi-conducting crystals in weightless conditions and melting alloys. The observations towards the Earth included a multi-spectral photograph of Europa, and in part of the medical experiments, cardiovascular tests were performed on Ivchenko and Kovalnok.
September 4 - rest day for Ivchenko and Kovalnok.
Thirteenth week, from September 5 to 14
September 8 - In a complicated maneuver that lasted an hour, Soyuz 31 was detached from the laboratory and attached to the front attachment hatch. Thus the rear attachment hatch for supply spacecraft was released. At the end of the attachment, they checked the attachment mechanism and returned to the laboratory to continue their activity. With the separation of the spacecraft from the laboratory, the astronauts moved away from it and continued to move in an orbit adjacent to the Soliot, with their distance from it varying between 100 and 200 meters. They then performed an Elrod maneuver so that the front hatch of the laboratory was oriented towards Soyuz 31. With the correct relative orientation achieved, the Earth Control Center activated Soyuz's automatic control system and guided it towards docking with the front hatch of the laboratory.
Fourteenth week, from September 15 to 21
September 19 - It was reported that the astronauts feel great physically and mentally despite their extended stay in space.
September 20 - Medical experiments were conducted in an ergometer to test the activity of the heart, blood circulation and muscles. To date, the astronauts have completed a considerable number of scientific investigations for the benefit of the national economy. Observations were made towards the earth, the oceans, and experiments were conducted in space technology, astrophysics and medicine.
Fifteenth week, from September 22 to 28
September 24 - this is the 101st day of their stay in space and they feel good. The doctor supervising them reported that the preparations before the flight and the constant monitoring of the astronauts' vigilance played an important role in their health. The first six weeks were difficult and after that their health stabilized. The first aid system was of very little use to them.
September 28 - Alexander Ivchenko celebrated his 38th birthday.
Sixteenth week, from September 29 to October 5
October 5 - Progress 4 was launched with 2.5 tons of fuel, water, food, scientific equipment, mail and spare parts in place of those that had worn out.
Seventeenth week, from October 6 to 12
October 6 - 28 hours after the launch of Progress 4, it docked with the space laboratory. Refueling the laboratory and charging it lasted 10 days. After that they finished their experiments and were stored in the laboratory as part of the preparations for their return to Israel.
October 9 - It was reported that the condition of the astronauts is normal.
Eighteenth week, from September 13 to 19
October 16 - It was reported that the astronauts are feeling well and are performing their usual tasks: photography, medical experiments and gymnastics exercises.
Nineteenth week, from October 20 to 28
October 24 - the engines of Progress 4 were activated and the orbit of the combination of Progress 4, Soliot 6 and Soyuz 31 was raised. At the end of the maneuver, Progress 4 was detached from Soliot. It was reported that the flight of Kovalnuk and Ivchenko is coming to an end and they are preparing to return to Israel.
October 26 - Progress 4 burned up in the atmosphere.
Week twenty, from October 27 to November 2
October 29 - The astronauts continued preparations for the return to Israel and as part of these preparations tested the engines of Soyuz 31.
October 30 - The astronauts transferred equipment from the space laboratory to Soyuz 31 and performed final medical tests before returning to Israel.
November 1 - It was reported that the astronauts will land on November 2. They felt good and their physiological condition is excellent. The landing date corresponds to the flight plan.
November 2 - Kovalnok and Ivchenko landed near Dzazkazan, 200 km east of the Bikonor space center. They stayed in space for 139 days, 14 hours and 12 minutes. A first medical examination after the flight showed that they were feeling well. One of the last tasks they performed before landing was replacing worn equipment with spare parts brought by Progress 4. While in space, they performed over 60 metallurgical experiments and in a special experiment discovered incredible eyesight. In another case, a depression in a glacier was noticed from an altitude of 250 km, despite the fact that the width of the depression did not exceed 20-30 meters. In another case, they noticed that one glacier was 200 meters away from a certain place. The deviation of their determination was only a few meters. These experiments are designed to test natural vision without optical aids. Other experiments included polarization experiments - to test the possibility of using atmospheric conditions and landmarks on the surface of the earth for the precise direction of scientific instruments towards specified places, a survey of the earth's resources and an examination of the speed of human reaction in space conditions, in particular the reaction to noises and other auditory stimuli.
Summary of the medical findings of the flight
In the first three weeks of the flight, the astronauts lost a few kilograms of their weight, but after some time they returned to their original weight. Kovalnuk and Ivchenko adapted to the country's gravity more easily than their predecessors. The tests showed that the prolonged stay in space did not cause any pathological changes in their bodies. They lost some weight and their motor responses were impaired for several days. All in all, their health condition is satisfactory. Since your time in space is longer than the lifespan of red blood cells, Kovalnuk and Ivchenko returned with new red blood cells in their bodies. A problem that the Russian space doctors have encountered is the danger that certain bacteria will become disease-causing agents in space. It turned out that certain types of bacteria on the surface of the earth are not harmful to health, tend to turn into disease carriers under conditions of weightlessness. This phenomenon requires a solution.
Soyuz 32 - Soyuz 34
On February 25, 1979, Soyuz 32 was launched with the astronauts Vladimir Lyokhov, the flight commander, and Volary Ryumin, the flight engineer.
On February 26, 24 hours and 36 minutes after launch, Soyuz 32 docked with Soliot 6 and the astronauts entered it.
On March 14, Progress 5 was launched and the equipment also included a television receiver.
On March 24, television broadcasts to the laboratory began. The broadcasts are of excellent quality.
On April 10, Soyuz 33 was launched with the Bulgarian astronauts Nikolai Rokbyshnikov and Georgi Ivanov. Their stay in the laboratory was one week.
On April 11, due to problems with the navigation engines of Soyuz 33, its attachment to Soliot was canceled.
On April 12, Soyuz 33 landed in Kazakhstan.
On May 13, Progress 6 was launched in preparation for the launch of Soyuz 34 at the end of the month, carrying two tons of equipment: fuel, food, water, oxygen injection equipment, mail, tulip flowers and scientific equipment. The "Parvada" newspaper stated that fennel and parsley plants grow in the laboratory's garden and are part of the menu.
On May 15, Progress 6 docked with Soliot.
On June 2, the Russians had to cancel the launch of Soyuz 34 with the participation of a Hungarian astronaut due to a serious malfunction in the Soliot.
On June 6, Soyuz 34 was launched without astronauts.
On June 8, the astronauts managed to detach Progress 6 from Soliot and launched it towards burning up in the atmosphere. Soyuz 34 was attached to the laboratory under the supervision of the astronauts.
On June 10, Progress 6 burned up in the atmosphere.
On June 14, Soyuz 32 landed unmanned and carrying the results of various studies.
On June 28, Progress 7 was launched with two and a half tons of equipment: fuel (the fuel in Soliot's tanks was almost exhausted), food, scientific equipment and mail. In this flight, the tests continued in preparation for the redesign of the Progress. Before being disconnected from the laboratory, Progress 7 raised Soliot to an altitude of 411 km.
On August 13, final medical examinations of the astronauts were conducted in preparation for their return to Israel the next day. Preparations for the landing lasted a week.
On August 18, Soyuz 34 was inspected for landing the next day.
On August 19, after 175 days, the astronauts landed 150 km south of Dzhazkazan. During the last stages of the flight, the astronauts wore special vacuum suits that allowed them to gradually get used to gravity. According to the TAS agency, "the Soliot 6 and Soyuz research program has been completed with complete success." The astronauts told about their life in space: "Of course, during such a long time, we sometimes had differences of opinion and small quarrels, but we were aware of our responsibility for the success of the operation and therefore we tried to find common points of contact."
The medical condition of the astronauts after landing
In the first days, Leokhov and Ryumin discovered difficulties in adapting to the pull of the country. They had difficulty walking and holding objects. Liokhov said about his first night on earth: "At first I was afraid that I would fall out of bed in my sleep." However the doctors determined that never before had a crew of pilots returned in such ideal health.
The work plan
The work plan while you were in space included:
1. Daily medical examinations conducted from the control center
2. Gymnastics exercises
3. Observations towards the Earth including clouds
4. Astronomical observations
5. Checking the communication systems with the ground
6. Metallurgical experiments:
A. Experiments with devices developed in France for processing metals in weightless conditions. For this purpose, metals such as aluminum and copper were melted in a furnace.
B. Drilling with special drills that eliminate twisting - the rotary movement of the drill, so that it does not push its operator backwards.
third. Experiments with the essential tools for building large platforms in space.
