Soyuz 18-1
Russia
Original archive entry. The text, images and links below are kept as they were written.
First manned spaceflight abort. During launch third stage separation failed to occur. Crew aborted to 20 G landing in mountains near Chinese border, sliding down a slope towards a cliff until their parachute snagged on a tree.
Carried Oleg Makarov, Vasili Lazarev for rendezvous with Salyut 4; but during second-third stage separation third stage failed to separate from second stage but still ignited. The crew demanded that the abort procedures be implemented but ground control could not see the launch vehicle gyrations in their telemetry. Soyuz finally was separated from by ground control command at 192 km, and following a 20.6+ G reentry, the capsule landed in the Altai mountains, tumbled down a mountainside, and snagged in some bushes just short of a precipice. The crew was worried that they may have landed in China and would face internment, but after an hour sitting in the cold next to the capsule, they were discovered by locals speaking Russian. Total flight duration was 1574 km and flight time 21 minutes 27 seconds. Lazarev suffered internal injuries from the high-G reentry and tumble down the mountain side and never flew again. Both cosmonauts were denied their 3000 ruble spaceflight bonus pay and had to appeal all the way to Brezhnev before being paid.
Related
- Family
- Manned spaceflight
- Country
- Russia
- Spacecraft
- Soyuz 7K-T
- Projects
- Salyut
- Launch Sites
- Baikonur
- Agency
- RVSN
Chronology
1 event
1975 April 5
11:04 GMT - . Launch Site: Baikonur. Launch Complex: Baikonur LC1. LV Family: R-7. Launch Vehicle: Soyuz 11A511. FAILURE: During second-third stage separation third stage failed to separate from second stage but still ignited.. Failed Stage: 3.- Soyuz 18-1 - .
Call Sign: Ural (Urals ). Crew: Lazarev,
Makarov.
Backup Crew: Klimuk,
Sevastyanov.
Payload: Soyuz 7K-T s/n 39. Mass: 6,830 kg (15,050 lb). Nation: Russia.
Agency: RVSN.
Program: Salyut.
Class: Manned.
Type: Manned spacecraft. Flight: Soyuz 18-1.
Spacecraft Bus: Soyuz.
Spacecraft: Soyuz 7K-T.
Duration: 0.0149 days. Decay Date: 1975-04-05 . Apogee: 192 km (119 mi).
Carried Oleg Makarov, Vasili Lazarev for rendezvous with Salyut 4; but during second-third stage seperation third stage failed to separate from second stage but still ignited. The crew demanded that the abort procedures be implemented but ground control could not see the launch vehicle gyrations in their telemetry. Soyuz finally was separated from by ground control command at 192 km, and following a 20.6+ G reentry, the capsule landed in the Altai mountains, tumbled down a mountainside, and snagged in some bushes just short of a precipice. The crew was worried that they may have landed in China and would face internment, but after an hour sitting in the cold next to the capsule, they were discovered by locals speaking Russian. Total flight duration was 1574 km and flight time 21 minutes 27 seconds. Lazarev suffered internal injuries from the high-G reentry and tumble down the mountain side and never flew again. Both cosmonauts were denied their 3000 ruble spaceflight bonus pay and had to apeal all the way to Brezhnev before being paid.