Soyuz 16

Infobox Space mission
mission_name = Soyuz 16
sign = Буран (Buran - "Blizzard")
crew_members = 2
launch = December 2, 1974
09:40:00 UTC
Gagarin's Start
landing = December 8, 1974
08:03:35 UTC
30km NE of Arkalyk
duration = 5d/22:23:35
orbits = 95
next = Soyuz 17
previous = Soyuz 15 |

Soyuz 16 was a test flight in the project to achieve a joint Soviet-US space flight that resulted in the Apollo-Soyuz mission.

Cosmonauts Anatoli Filipchenko and Nikolai Rukavishnikov evaluated a modified Soyuz capsule and the docking equipment that would allow the dissimilar spacecraft to link up. Meanwhile, the flight gave the US and Soviet ground crews experience in working together, and satisfied US officials of the safety of the Soyuz craft.

The mission went exactly to plan, with both administrations happy with the performance of the spacecraft and ground crews.

Crew

Number in parentheses indicates number of spaceflights by each individual prior to and including this mission.
*Anatoli Filipchenko (2) - Commander
*Nikolai Rukavishnikov (2) - Flight Engineer

Backup crew

*Vladimir Dzhanibekov - Commander
*Boris Andreyev - Flight Engineer

Reserve crew

*Yuri Romanenko - Commander
*Aleksandr Ivanchenkov - Flight Engineer

Mission parameters

*Mass: 6800 kg
*Perigee: 184 km
*Apogee: 291 km
*Inclination: 51.8°
*Period: 89.2 min

External links

* [http://www.zarya.info/Diaries/Soyuz/ASTP/ASTPSoyuz16.php Soyuz 16 Diary]