FLIGHT OF "SOYUZ 10"

ABSTRACT. The launching of t h e space s t a t i o n

"Salyut" and i t s docking w i t h t h e s p a c e c r a f t "Soyuz
10" i s described. A f t e r t h e program of experiments
was completed, "Soyuz 10'' w a s r e t u r n e d t o t h e e a r t h .

I n conformance w i t h a program of space r e s e a r c h , an o r b i t a l s c i e n t i f i c

s t a t i o n "Salyut" w a s launched i n t h e S o v i e t Union on A p r i l 19, 1971.

The s t a t i o n was placed i n an o r b i t c l o s e t o t h e c a l c u l a t e d o r b i t with t h e

parameters: maximum d i s t a n c e from t h e E a r t h ' s s u r f a c e ( a t apogee) - 222
k i l o m e t e r s ; minimum d i s t a n c e from t h e E a r t h ' s s u r f a c e (at perigee) - 200
k i l o m e t e r s ; t h e p e r i o d of r e v o l u t i o n - $8.5 minutes; i n c l i n a t i o n of the orbit

On t h e 23rd of A p r i l 1971 a t 2 : 5 4 Moscow t i m e , a r o c k e t c a r r i e r w i t h the

s p a c e c r a f t qsSoyuz 10'' was launched i n t h e S o v i e t Union, p i l o t e d by a crew corn-
p r i s e d of t h e s h i p commander, twice Hero of t h e S o v i e t Union, USSR c o s m n a u t
Colonel Vladimir Aleksandrovich Shatalov, snboard engineer, twice Hero of the
S o v i e t Union, USSR cosmonaut, candidate of t e c h n i c a l s c i e n c e s Meksey
S t a n i s l a v o v i c h Yeliseyev, and test e n g i n e e r Nikolay Nikolayevich Rukadshnsikosr,

A f t e r b e i n g placed on a n e a r - t e r r e s t r i a l o r b i t , t h e cosmonauts e6recked

t h e onboard system and made n e c e s s a r y p r e p a r a t i o n s on t h e s p a c e c r a f t for
experiments w i t h the q P S a l y ~ tsqt P
atione

Numbers i n &he margin indicate p a g i n a t i o n i n the o r i g i n a l f o r e i g n text,

 On t h e 24th of A p r i l , 4:47 Moscow t i m e , t h e s p a c e c r a f t "Soyuz 10" was
j o i n e d w i t h t h e "Salyut" o r b i t i n g s t a t i o n . The docking p r o c e s s was c a r r i e d out
i n two s t a g e s . I n t h e f i r s t s t a g e , under an automatic c o n t r o l regime, the
c r a f t approached t o w i t h i n 180 meters of t h e s t a t i o n . F u r t h e r approach a d
b e r t h i n g were conducted by t h e crew. -
/3

The f l i g h t of t h e space s t a t i o n - s p a c e c r a f t system w h i l e docked

l a s t e d 5 hours and 30 minutes. During t h e course of f l i g h t , t h e onboard system
w a s checked o u t , and dynamic c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s were evaluated.

A f t e r completing t h e above experiments, t h e crew undocked and separated

t h e "Soyuz 10'' s h i p f rom t h e s t a t i o n .

With t h e h e l p of o u t e r t e l e v i s i o n cameras aboard t h e "Soyuz BOP', p i c t u r e s

of t h e "Salyut" s t a t i o n and t h e i n d i v i d u a l elements of i t s construction. were
t e l e v i s e d t o E a r t h during t h e j o i n t f l i g h t and during s e p a r a t i o n of s t a t i m m d
spacecraft.

I n t h e course of t h e j o i n t f l i g h t w i t h t h e o r b i t a l s c i e n t i f i c station
"SalyutP', s e v e r a l s t u d i e s were conducted on v e r i f y i n g t h e o p e r a t i o n a l & i l i t y
of t h e s y s t e r n f o r i n t e r r e l a t e d r e s e a r c h , and on f u r t h e r connecting, b e r t h i n g ,
docking and, undocking of t h e s p a c e c r a f t and o r b i t i n g s t a t i o n .

A f t e r completing t h e program of experiments, o p e r a t i o n s f o r preparing for

t h e descent of "Soyuz PO" t o E a r t h were performed. The crew c a r r i e d out the
n e c e s s a r y o r i e n t a t i o n of t h e c r a f t , and a t 1:59 Moscow t i m e , t h e r e t r o r o & e t s
were started. A f t e r t h e engine completed i t s o p e r a t i o n and t h e s p a c e c r a f t
s e c t i o n s were detached, descent of t h e s p a c e c r a f t t o Earth s t a r t e d . After aero-
dynamic braking i n t h e atmosphere, t h e parachute system w a s p u t i n t o crperatim,
and immediately b e f o r e reaching Earth, t h e s o f t l a n d i n g engine w a s activated.

On 25 A p r i l 1971, a t 2:40 Moscow t i m e , a f t e k f u l f i l l i n g i t s p r o g r m o f

s c i e n t i f i c t e c h n i c a l r e s e a r c h w i t h t h e $"Salyutl' s t a t i o n , t h e s p a c e c r a f t

I 3
i
"Soyuz 10" completed a s o f t landing i n the USSR, 120 kilometers northwest o f
Karaganda.

Research conducted during t h i s f l i g h t was one step i n a general p r o g r m

with the s c i e n t i f i c o r b i t a l station "Salyut".

From a Tass dispatch.