Soyuz TM-19

The Soyuz-TM crew transports (T - транспортный - Transportnyi - meaning transport, M - модифицированный - Modifitsirovannyi - meaning modified) were fourth generation (1986–2002) Soyuz spacecraft used for ferry flights to the Mir and ISS space stations. It added to the Soyuz-T new docking and rendezvous, radio communications, emergency and integrated parachute/landing engine systems. The new Kurs rendezvous and docking system permitted the Soyuz-TM to maneuver independently of the station, without the station making "mirror image" maneuvers to match unwanted translations introduced by earlier models' aft-mounted attitude control.

Soyuz TM-19
Mission typeMir crew transport
OperatorRosaviakosmos
COSPAR ID1994-036A
SATCAT no.23139
Mission duration125 days, 22 hours, 53 minutes, 36 seconds
Orbits completed1,993
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftSoyuz 7K-STM No.68[1]
Spacecraft typeSoyuz-TM
ManufacturerRKK Energia
Launch mass7,150 kilograms (15,760 lb)
Crew
Crew size2 up
3 down
MembersYuri Malenchenko
Talgat Musabayev
LandingUlf Merbold
CallsignАга́т (Agat - Agate)
Start of mission
Launch dateJuly 1, 1994, 12:24:50 (1994-07-01UTC12:24:50Z) UTC
RocketSoyuz-U2
Launch siteBaikonur 1/5
End of mission
Landing dateNovember 4, 1994, 11:18:26 (1994-11-04UTC11:18:27Z) UTC
Landing site88 kilometres (55 mi) northeast of Arkalyk
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude396 kilometres (246 mi)
Apogee altitude397 kilometres (247 mi)
Inclination51.6 degrees
Period92.48 minutes
Epoch31 July 1994[2]
Docking with Mir
Docking portKvant-1 aft
Docking date3 July 1994, 13:55:01 UTC
Undocking date4 November 1994, 08:31:30 UTC
Soyuz programme
(Crewed missions)
 

Soyuz TM-19 was the tenth expedition to the Russian Space Station Mir.

Crew
Position Launching crew Landing crew
Commander  Yuri Malenchenko
First spaceflight
Flight Engineer  Talgat Musabayev
First spaceflight
Research Cosmonaut None  Ulf Merbold
Third and last spaceflight

Mission highlights

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.

Mission accomplishments
  • Docked with Mir
  • Exchange part of crew
  • Conducted medical experiments
  • Conducted materials experiments
  • Both cosmonauts perform EVA 09.09.1994 (5h 6m) to repair station's external insulation
  • Both cosmonauts repeat EVA on 14.09.1994 (6h 1m) for same purpose
  • First successful manual docking of a Progress supply ship

Notes
  1. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 9 November 2013.
  2. McDowell, Jonathan. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 9 November 2013.

Both cosmonauts and Doctor Valeri Polyakov (arrived on Soyuz TM-18) became the 16th resident crew; many technical problems with the station arose during this mission, necessitating a previously untried manual supply dock by Malenchenko.

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