Soyuz T-14

Soyuz T-14 (Russian: Союз Т-14, Union T-14) was the ninth expedition to Salyut 7. The mission relieved Soyuz T-13, whose crew had performed unprecedented repairs aboard the previously-dead station.^[1]

Soyuz T-14

COSPAR ID	1985-081A
SATCAT no.	16051
Mission duration	64 days, 21 hours, 52 minutes, 8 seconds
Orbits completed	1,021
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	Soyuz-T
Manufacturer	NPO Energia
Launch mass	6,850 kilograms (15,100 lb)
Crew
Crew size	3
Members	Vladimir Vasyutin Alexander Volkov
Launching	Georgi Grechko
Landing	Viktor Savinykh
Callsign	Чегет (Cheget – "Mount Cheget")
Start of mission
Launch date	September 17, 1985, 12:38:52 (1985-09-17UTC12:38:52Z) UTC
Rocket	Soyuz-U2
Launch site	Baikonur 1/5
End of mission
Landing date	November 21, 1985, 10:31:00 (1985-11-21UTC10:32Z) UTC
Landing site	180 kilometres (110 mi) SE of Dzhezkazgan
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee altitude	196 kilometres (122 mi)
Apogee altitude	223 kilometres (139 mi)
Inclination	51.6 degrees
Period	88.7 minutes
Docking with Salyut 7
Soyuz programme (Crewed missions) ← Soyuz T-13 Soyuz T-15 →

Crew

Position	Launching crew	Landing crew
Commander	Vladimir Vasyutin Only spaceflight
Flight Engineer	Georgi Grechko Third and last spaceflight	Viktor Savinykh Second spaceflight
Research Cosmonaut	Alexander Volkov First spaceflight

Backup crew

Position	Crew
Commander	Aleksandr Viktorenko
Flight Engineer	Gennady Strekalov
Research Cosmonaut	Yevgeni Saley

Mission parameters

• Mass: 6,850 kg (15,100 lb)
• Perigee: 196 km (122 mi)
• Apogee: 223 km (139 mi)
• Inclination: 51.6°
• Period: 88.7 minutes

Mission highlights

Soyuz T-14 demonstrated the wisdom of maintaining a Soyuz at Salyut 7 as an emergency medical evacuation vehicle: the mission commander Vasyutin fell ill which forced an early termination of the planned 6-month mission.

The main goals of the mission was to receive Cosmos 1686, a modified TKS, and conduct spacewalks with application to future space stations.^[2] The first goal was achieved on October 2. Cosmos 1686 contained 4,500 kg (9,900 lb) of freight, including large items like a girder to be assembled outside Salyut 7, and the Kristallizator materials processing apparatus. However, the crew of Soyuz T-14 were unable to achieve their second goal. By late October Vasyutin was no longer helping with experiments because he was ill.

On November 13 the cosmonauts began scrambling their communications with the TsUP. Return to Earth occurred soon after. Sources at NASA have reported that psychologists with the Russian Aviation and Space Agency cited Soyuz T-14 as ending prematurely due to "mood and performance issues" with the crew.^[3] Vasyutin's illness is said to have been caused by a prostate infection or urinary tract infection,^[4] which had manifested itself as inflammation and a fever.^[5]