Soyuz 16
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| Mission Statistics | |
| Mission Name: | Soyuz 16 |
| Call Sign: | Буран (Buran - "Blizzard") |
| Number of Crew Members: | 2 |
| Launch: | December 2, 1974 09:40:00 UTC Baikonur |
| Landing: | December 8, 1974 08:03:35 UTC 30lm NE of Arkalyk |
| Duration: | 5 days, 22 h, 23 min, 35 s |
| Number of Orbits: | 95 |
Soyuz 16 was a test flight in the project to achieve a joint Soviet-US space flight that resulted in the Apollo-Soyuz mission.
Cosmonauts Anatoli Filipchenko and Nikolai Rukavishnikov evaluated a modified Soyuz capsule and the docking equipment that would allow the dissimilar spacecraft to link up. Meanwhile, the flight gave the US and Soviet ground crews experience in working together, and satisfied US officials of the safety of the Soyuz craft.
The mission went exactly to plan, with both administrations happy with the performance of the spacecraft and ground crews.
Crew
(1) number of spaceflights each crew member has completed, including this mission.
Mission Parameters
- Mass: 6800 kg
- Perigee: 184 km
- Apogee: 291 km
- Inclination: 51.8°
- Period: 89.2 min