Soyuz TM-9

Soyuz TM-9 was the ninth expedition to the Russian Space Station Mir.^[1]

Soyuz TM-9

COSPAR ID	1990-014A
SATCAT no.	20494
Mission duration	179 days, 1 hour, 17 minutes, 57 seconds
Orbits completed	~2,895
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Soyuz 7K-STM No. 60
Spacecraft type	Soyuz-TM
Manufacturer	NPO Energia
Launch mass	7,150 kilograms (15,760 lb)
Crew
Crew size	2
Members	Anatoly Solovyev Aleksandr Balandin
Callsign	Родни́к (Rodnik- Spring)
Start of mission
Launch date	11 February 1990, 06:16:00 (1990-02-11UTC06:16Z) UTC
Rocket	Soyuz-U2
End of mission
Landing date	9 August 1990, 07:33:57 (1990-08-09UTC07:33:58Z) UTC
Landing site	70 kilometres (43 mi) NE of Arkalyk - 50.85 N; 67.28 E
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee altitude	373 kilometres (232 mi)
Apogee altitude	387 kilometres (240 mi)
Inclination	51.6 degrees
Period	92.2 minutes
Docking with Mir
Docking date	13 February 1990, 06:37:47 UTC
Undocking date	9 August 1990, 04:08:49 UTC
Soyuz programme (Crewed missions) ← Soyuz TM-8 Soyuz TM-10 →

Crew

Position	Crew
Commander	Anatoly Solovyev Second spaceflight
Flight Engineer	Aleksandr Balandin First spaceflight

Mission highlights

During docking, cosmonauts aboard Mir noticed that three of the eight thermal blankets (layers of foil vacuum-shield insulation) on the descent module of the approaching Soyuz-TM 9 spacecraft had come loose from their attachments near the heat shield, yet remained attached at their top ends. The main concern was that the capsule might cool down, permitting condensation to form inside and short out its electrical systems. There was also fear that the blankets might block the infrared vertical sensor, which oriented the module for reentry.

Three other areas of concern emerged: that the explosive bolts binding the service module to the descent module might fail to work after direct exposure to space, that the heat shield might be compromised by direct space exposure, and that an EVA to repair the blankets might cause additional damage. Consideration was given to flying Soyuz TM-10 with one cosmonaut aboard as a rescue mission. During an EVA, the cosmonauts folded back two of the three blankets and left the third alone. During reentry, the cosmonauts ejected both the orbital module and the service module simultaneously in an effort to minimize the chances that a blanket could snag. Normally the orbital module went first. The descent module suffered no damage as a result of its prolonged exposure to space conditions. Reentry occurred as normal.