Kosmos 1669

Kosmos 1669

Type	Progress 7K-TG
Space station	Salyut 7
Station crew	EO-4.1
Contractors	OKB-1
Carrier Rocket	Soyuz-U
Launch site	Baikonur Site 1/5
Launch date	19 July 1985 13:05 (1985-07-19T13:05) GMT
Decay Date	30 August 1985 01:20 (1985-08-30T01:21) GMT
COSPAR ID	1985-062A
Free flight time	4 days
Docked time	1 month
First Docking
Docking port	Rear
Docking date	21 July 1985 15:05 GMT
Undocking date	28 August 1985
Second Docking
Docking port	Rear
Docking date	28 August 1985
Undocking Date	28 August 1985 21:50 GMT
Orbit
Regime	LEO
Periapsis	354 kilometres (220 mi)
Apoapsis	358 kilometres (222 mi)
Inclination	51.6°

Kosmos-1669 (Russian: Космос-1669 meaning Cosmos 1669) was a Progress spacecraft used to resupply the Salyut 7 space station. It was a Progress 7K-TG spacecraft with the serial number 126.

Kosmos-1669 was launched by a Soyuz-U carrier rocket from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, at 13:05 GMT on 19 July 1985. The spacecraft docked with the aft port of Salyut 7 at 15:05 GMT on 21 July. Following undocking on 28 August, it moved away from the station, before returning and redocking to test the reliability of the docking system.^[1] It undocked for a second time at 21:50 GMT,^[2] and was deorbited on 30 August, with the spacecraft burning up over the Pacific Ocean at 01:20 GMT.

Kosmos-1669 was the first cargo spacecraft to visit Salyut 7 after its reactivation. It delivered new spacesuits, to replace ones damaged by cold temperatures whilst Salyut 7 was deactivated,^[3] as well as replacement parts and consumables. It was also the last Progress flight as part of the Salyut programme; all further cargo missions to Salyut 7 would use TKS spacecraft. The next Progress mission was Progress 25 to Mir.^[1]

As of 2009, Kosmos-1669 is the only Progress spacecraft to have received a Kosmos designation, which are usually reserved for military, experimental and failed spacecraft. It has been reported that this may have been an error due to confusion with a TKS spacecraft which later became Kosmos 1686,^[4] or that the spacecraft may have gone out of control shortly after launch, but then been recovered after the Kosmos designation had been applied.^[1] Alternatively, it could have been given the designation as it was used to test modifications that would be used on future Progress missions.^[3] Some news agencies reported that it was a free-flying Progress-derived spacecraft,^[3] or that it was a new type of spacecraft derived from the Progress.^[5]

See also

• List of Progress flights

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Wade, Mark. "Progress". Encyclopedia Astronautica. http://www.astronautix.com/craft/progress.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-11. 
2. ^ Christy, Robert. "Third Expedition to Salyut 7 - 1984". Zarya. http://www.zarya.info/Diaries/StationsDOS/Salyut7Ex3.php. Retrieved 2009-04-11. 
3. ^ ^{a b c} Portree, David S. F (March 1995). "Mir Hardware Heritage". NASA. http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/history/shuttle-mir/references/r-documents-mirhh.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-11. 
4. ^ Christy, Robert. "Fourth Expedition to Salyut 7 - 1985". Zarya. http://www.zarya.info/Diaries/StationsDOS/Salyut7Ex4.php. Retrieved 2009-04-11. 
5. ^ "New Soviet Craft Docks With Salyut". New York Times. 1985-07-23. http://www.nytimes.com/1985/07/23/science/new-soviet-craft-docks-with-salyut.html?n=Top/News/Science/Topics/Space%20Stations. Retrieved 2009-04-11.