- Soyuz 40
Infobox Space mission
mission_name = Soyuz 40
sign = Dnieper
crew_members = 2
launch =May 14 ,1981
17:16:38 UTCGagarin's Start
landing =May 22 ,1981
13:58:30 UTC
225 km SE ofDzhezkazgan
duration = 7d/20:41:52
orbits = 124
next =Soyuz T-5
previous =Soyuz 39 |Crew
Number in parentheses indicates number of spaceflights by each individual prior to and including this mission.
*Leonid Popov (2) - Commander
*Dumitru Prunariu (Romania ) (1) - Research CosmonautBackup crew
*
Yuri Romanenko - Commander
*Dumitru Dediu (Romania ) - Research CosmonautMission parameters
*Mass: 6800 kg
*Perigee: 198.1 km
*Apogee: 287 km
*Inclination: 51.6°
*Period: 89.06 minutesMission highlights
16th expedition to Salyut 6. 9th international crew. Carried intercosmos cosmonaut from Romania. Last Soyuz Ferry flight; ended the first phase of the Intercosmos program, which concentrated on placing citizens of Soviet bloc states into space. In all, nine Intercosmos missions were launched between
1978 and1981 .Soyuz 40 was the last of the original Soyuz spacecraft (due to its replacement by the Soyuz-T) and the last Soyuz spacecraft to dock with
Salyut 6 . It also ended the first phase of theIntercosmos program by carrying Romanian cosmonaut Dumitru Prunariu and Soviet cosmonaut Leonid Popov to the station. Prunariu studied Earth’s magnetic field. Earth observations had to be delayed until the last day of his flight, when Salyut 6 at last passed over Romania in daylight. During this time the crew also tested the station’s orientation system.
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