Vladimir Dzhanibekov

(Third Space Flight)

Aleksandr Ivanchenkov

(Second Space Flight) Research:

(First Space Flight)

Backup Crew: Commander: Leonid Kizim
Vladimir Solovyov - Flight Engineer
Patrick Baudry - Research

Soyuz T-6 was a manned spaceflight to Earth orbit to the Salyut 7 space station in 1982. Along with two Russians, the crew included a Frenchman, Jean-Loup Chretien.

The Soyuz-T spacecraft arrived at Salyut 7 following launch on 24 June 1982 and one day of solo operations. During the T-6 mission's time docked to the station, the crew performed joint Soviet-French experiments, including cardivascular echography, alongside the station's resident crew.

The Soyuz Space Missions

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Pages within this section: Soyuz (CC)

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courtesy: Wikipedia.org

While aboard the station, the resident crew afforded him the opportunity to eject Salyut 7's weekly bag of waste into space through the station's small trash airlock. Valentin Lebedev, writing in his diary, quoted Chrétien as saying Salyut 7 "is simple, doesn't look impressive, but is reliable."

The Echography experiment was carried out with the help of French ultrasonic equipment for a study of the heart's functions, the velocity of the blood flow through major blood vessels, and changes in the size of the latter during adaptation to zero gravity. In the Posture experiments the cosmonauts also studied the interaction between human sense organs and motor system. For the Neptune experiment the cosmonauts checked the sharpness and depth of vision, the sensitivity of the vision analyzer (the Mars-2 experiment), and the hygienic conditions on board Salyut 7 with two crew members present in the Microbe Exchange experiment. The cosmonauts also used a special prophylactic device, the Bracelet, to study the possibility of normalizing blood circulation in conditions of weightlessness.

Of particular interest to scientists on the ground were results obtained in the Biobloc-3 and Cytos-2 experiments. The purpose of the Biobloc-3 was the study the effect of heavy cosmic particles on biological objects. The data obtained would extend contemporary knowledge of the effects of cosmic radiation, provide a measure for assessing the danger of cosmic irradiation for biological systems, and assist in providing adequate protection, which is particularly important on long-duration space flights. The Cytos-2 experiment was aimed at studying the vital activity of microorganisms during space flight and their response to various antibiotics. It was hoped the results obtained could be used in developing methods for the prevention and treatment of different infectious diseases that might occur during space flight.

The crew also carried out three vital technological experiments - Gauge, Diffusion and Liquation - with the aid of a Soviet Crystal apparatus. The Gauge experiment consisted of checking the temperature field of an electric oven under various modes of operation, and the simultaneous registering of microacceleration forces along the station's axis. The Diffusion experiment was aimed at determining the diffusion coefficients of materials (copper and lead) in conditions of weightlessness. The Liquation experiment analyzed the effect of capillary forces on the formation of an aluminum-indium alloy. In other words, metals which do not blend under normal terrestrial conditions. This experiment was also of practical value for the production of new composite materials made up of components with considerably differing densities and melting temperatures. Trying to replicate their production on Earth is an extremely complicated process.

Soyuz T-6 launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on 24 June 1982 at 16:29 GMT. Docking with the Salyut 7 station was completed manually after problems arose with the spacecraft's onboard automatic docking systems.

Once aboard Salyut 7, the crew completed joint Soviet-French, including echography and antibiotic experiments, with the station's resident crew, the crew of Soyuz T-5.

The mission transported the first French astronaut, Jean-Loup Chrétien, into space.