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OS
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In 1960 Korolev proposed a military orbital station (OS), with a crew of 3 to 5, orbiting at 350 to 400 km altitude. The station would conduct military reconnaissance, control other spacecraft in orbit, and undertake basic space research. This initial OS grew into the much larger TKS concept of 1961.
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TKS Heavy Space Station
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The TKS (Heavy Space Station, also known as TOSZ - Heavy Orbital Station of the Earth) was Korolev's first 1961 project for a large N1-launched military space station. The draft project was completed on 3 May 1961 and marked the beginning of a long struggle throughout the 1960's to get such a station built and launched.
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Vostok-Zh
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The Vostok-Zh (or Vostok-7) maneuverable manned satellite was piloted by a single 'cosmonaut assemblyman'. The pilot would rendezvous and dock with components of a space station or translunar spacecraft as they reached orbit, then maneuver the component to a docking with the in-assembly spacecraft. Abandoned in favor of the Soyuz.
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OP
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Korolev's next attempt to win military support for development of the N-I was his fantastic 'Orbitalniy Poyas' (OP -Orbital Belt) scheme of 20 April 1962. Anticipating Ronald Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative by 25 years, he painted a picture of an invincible Soviet space force patrolling the heavens. Two to three large N-I launched military manned stations would control a constellation of strategic assets. Geosynchronous nuclear-powered satellites would provide secure communications.
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OS-1 (1965)
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Following a meeting between Khrushchev and chief designers at Pitsunda, Khrushchev ordered the start of a project to put a 75 metric ton manned platform with nuclear weapons into low earth orbit (dubbed elsewhere as 'Battlestar Khrushchev'). Korolev was authorized to proceed immediately to upgrade the three stage N vehicle to a maximum 75 metric ton payload in order to launch the station. Work on the OS-1 began on 25 September 1962. By 1965 the mockup of the huge station had been completed.
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OS-1962
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On 10 March 1962 Korolev approved the technical project "Complex docking of spacecraft in earth orbit - Soyuz". This contained the original Soyuz L1 circumlunar design. The Vostok-Zh could be used on another mission to assemble a 15 metric ton orbital station with the mission of observing the earth. It would consist of three separately-launched blocks: a ZhO living section, BAA scientific apparatus block, and the Soyuz spacecraft itself. This closely resembled Sever, another contemporary study project at OKB-1.
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Soyuz R
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A military reconnaissance version of Soyuz, developed by Kozlov at Samara from 1963-1966. It was to consist of an the 11F71 small orbital station and the 11F72 Soyuz 7K-TK manned ferry. The 11F71 was cancelled in 1966, with Chelomei's Almaz being developed instead.
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Almaz
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Chelomei's Almaz space station was designed to conduct orbital research into the usefulness of manned observation of the earth. It was to be dedicated to detailed high-resolution study of specific targets. Accordingly it was equipped with a very high resolution optical camera, infrared sensor, and optical sight for use by the cosmonauts aboard.
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Soyuz VI
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To determine the usefulness of manned military space flight, two projects were pursued in the second half of the 1960's. Chelomei's Almaz was to conduct orbital research into the usefulness of manned observation of the earth, while Kozlov's Soyuz VI would conduct military research. Soyuz VI was developed form the original Soyuz draft project. The standard Soyuz solved problems of docking, EVA, orbital assembly, while the VI was designed in response to a TTZ to solve military aspects - manned earth observation, orbital inspection and destruction of enemy satellites. But by the beginning of the 1970's flight tests had provided convincing evidence that near-earth operations were better suited to solution of national economic problems than military ones. So the Soyuz VI was cancelled.
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OS-1 (1969)
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By 1969 the giant OS-1 space station had evolved to this configuration. Although pursued at least to the mock-up stage, all plans for orbiting the OS-1 had to be constantly deferred until the N1 booster proved itself. The termination of the N1 launch vehicle program ended any possibility of launching the station.
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Almaz OPS
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Vladimir Chelomei's Almaz OPS was the only manned military space station ever actually flown. The stations were equipped with an unprecedented array of sensors for 'man-in-the-loop' observation and targeting of mobile ground targets. One was equipped with a space-to-space gun. In the end the station officially proved that manned systems were not a cost-effective method for space reconnaissance and targeting. But the Almaz station provided the basis for the Russian Salyut, Mir, and the International Space Station space station modules.
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Salyut 1
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Salyut 1 was the first DOS long duration orbital station. The 'civilian' DOS station was built on basis of the military Almaz stations with the mission of beating the American Skylab in the space station race and to determine the usefulness of manned observation of the earth by 1974. DOS-1 was launched as Salyut 1 on 19 April 1971. The triumph turned to tragedy when the Soyuz-11 crew died due to de-pressurization of their re-entry capsule during return to the earth.
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MKBS
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The culmination of ten years of designs for N1-launched space stations, the MKBS would be cancelled together with the N1. But the technical legacy would live on in new designs for Soyuz and Progress space station logistics spacecraft used with Salyut and Mir.
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OPS + TKS
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Designation give to combined TKS+OPS Almaz station.
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Salyut 4
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Four of the initial DOS-1 versions of a civilian Soviet space station were built using converted Almaz military stations. DOS-1 was launched as Salyut 1 on 19 April 1971. The triumph turned to tragedy when the Soyuz-11 crew died due to de-pressurization of their re-entry capsule during return to the earth. Launches of the first series DOS stations continued in a desperate effort to beat Skylab into orbit with a fully successful Soviet space station mission. DOS-2, s/n 122, was destroyed in a launch vehicle explosion en route to orbit in July 1972. DOS-3, s/n 123, reached orbit as Cosmos 557 in 1973 but control was lost before a crew could be sent to the station. DOS-4, the last of the first series, finally flew successfully as Salyut 4 in 1974. Salyut 4 differed from Salyut 1 in having three sets or rotatable solar panels, more electrical power, and a more complete equipment suite.
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Salyut 6
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The Salyut 6 space station was the most successful of the DOS series prior to Mir. It was aloft for four years and ten months, completing 27,785 orbits of the earth. Five main expeditions and 11 short duration expeditions visited the station, of which nine had international crews. A total of 676 days of piloted operations were conducted by 27 cosmonauts with steadily increasing flight duration: 18, 75, 96, 140, and 185 days. 35 automatic dockings were conducted with the station by 20 Soyuz, 12 Progress, and 1 TKS spacecraft.
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37KS
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Development of a new kind of Soviet space station module, designated 37K, was authorized on 17 September 1979. The basic 37K design consisted of a 4.2 m diameter pressurized cylinder with a docking port at the forward end. It was not equipped with its own propulsion system. The original authorization was for a total of eight 37K's of various configurations.- Four 37KS modules for Mir. These would also be launched by Proton and delivered and docked to the station by a new lighter weight FGO tug.
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Salyut 7
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Salyut 7 was the back-up article for Salyut 6 and very similar in equipment and capabilities. It was in use for four years and two months, during which time it was visited by 10 crews constituting 6 main expeditions and 4 secondary flights (including French and Indian cosmonauts). A total of 22 cosmonauts visited the station, five of them twice and one three times. From two to six crew were aboard at any one time. 11 Soyuz T and 15 Progress spacecraft made a total of 25 dockings and 3 redockings. Mission durations of 211 and then 237 days were achieved, during which 13 EVA's were conducted during 861 total days of piloted flight.
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37K-Mir
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Development of a new kind of Soviet space station module, designated 37K, was authorized on 17 September 1979. The basic 37K design consisted of a 4.2 m diameter pressurized cylinder with a docking port at the forward end. It was not equipped with its own propulsion system. The 37KS modules for Mir were cancelled in 1983 in favor of KB Salyut designs derived from the Chelomei TKS spacecraft.
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LO
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Development of a new kind of Soviet space station module, designated 37K, was authorized on 17 September 1979. The basic 37K design consisted of a 4.2 m diameter pressurized cylinder. The 37KB modules, similar to the Kvant module of the Mir space station, were to be standard on the early Buran flights. A later version of the design for civilian experiments, the LO Laboratory Compartment, would be retained in the payload bay of Buran and connected to the orbiter's cockpit area by an access tunnel. Work on the 37KB modules was finally stopped completely when further Buran funding was ended in 1993.
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Mir
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Improved model of the Salyut DOS-17K space station with one aft docking port and five ports in a spherical compartment at the forward end of the station. Mir lasted 15 years, the complex in the end consisting of 7 modules with 11.5 metric tons of scientific equipment. It cost $220 to $240 million per year to keep in operation.
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Kvant
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The Kvant spacecraft represented the first use of a new kind of Soviet space station module, designated 37K. An order authorizing the beginning of development was issued on 17 September 1979. The basic 37K design consisted of a 4.2 m diameter pressurized cylinder with a docking port at the forward end. It was not equipped with its own propulsion system. The original authorization was for a total of eight 37K's of various configurations:
- One experimental 37KE (using a surplus FGB module of the cancelled Chelomei TKS manned ferry as a tug) which would be docked to the front port of the Salyut 7 space station.
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Mir complex
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Designation given to the entire Mir space station.
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Mir Modules-FGB
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Space station modules derived from the Chelomei TKS ferry. See entries for Kvant-2, Priroda, Spektr, and Kristal for details on each.
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NPG
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Development of a new kind of Soviet space station module, designated 37K, was authorized on 17 September 1979. The basic 37K design consisted of a 4.2 m diameter pressurized cylinder. The 37KB modules, similar to the Kvant module of the Mir space station, were to be standard on the early Buran flights. A later version of the design for military experiments, the NPG Retained Payload, would be mounted in the payload bay of Buran and connected to the orbiter's cockpit area by an access tunnel. Work on the 37KB modules was finally stopped completely when further Buran funding was ended in 1993.
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37KB
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Development of a new kind of Soviet space station module, designated 37K, was authorized on 17 September 1979. The basic 37K design consisted of a 4.2 m diameter pressurized cylinder with a docking port at the forward end. It was not equipped with its own propulsion system. The original authorization was for a total of eight 37K's of various configurations:
- Three 37KB modules. These would be carried in the payload bay of the Buran space shuttle. They could remain attached to the bay or (modified to the 37KBI configuration) be docked to the Mir or Mir-2 space stations using the Buran manipulator arm.
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Kvant-2
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Kvant-2 was a utility module launched to the Mir station. It provided an airlock, additional electric power, and additional gyrodynes for orienting the station.
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Mir-2
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The Mir-2 space station was originally authorized in the February 1976 resolution setting forth plans for development of third generation Soviet space systems. It would undergo many changes over the year, with only one thing remaining constant: the starting point was always the DOS-8 base block space station core module, built as a back-up to the DOS-7 base block used in the Mir station. Eventually Mir-2 would be merged with the International Space Station, and DOS-8 was finally scheduled to be launched by the end of 2000 as the Service Module of the ISS.
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Kristall
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Kristal was a dedicated zero-gravity materials and biological science research module for the Mir space station, launched in January 1990
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Mir-2 KB Salyut
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Alternative design for the Mir-2 space station by KB Salyut. If Polyus had successfully made it to orbit, it might have been the core for such a station.
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Mir-Shuttle Docking Module
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A specialized SO docking module was originally designed for docking the Buran space shuttle with the Mir-2 space station. In the 1992 concept the module would be delivered by a Progress-M tug to Mir-2 and included a lateral EVA hatch and an axial APDS androgynous docking unit for use by Buran. By 1993 Buran and Mir-2 were cancelled and the SO was to be used to dock the US Space Shuttle with the International Space Station.
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Spektr
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Spektr was a module of the Mir space station. It began life as a dedicated military research unit. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, all such work was stopped, and the spacecraft never left the shop.In NASA agreed to provide funds to complete the Spektr and Priroda modules for Mir using US funds, with 600 to 700 kg of US experiments installed in place of the military experiments.
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Priroda
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Priroda was the last Mir module launched. It was originally an all-Soviet remote sensing module for combined civilian and military surveillance of the earth. The Soviet Union collapsed before it could be launched, and it was put in storage.
In 1993 NASA agreed to provide funds to complete the Spektr and Priroda modules for Mir using US funds, providing 600 to 700 kg of US experiments would be installed. It finally docked with Mir in April 1996.
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