Soyuz TM-4
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| Mission Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Mission Name: | Soyuz TM-4 |
| Call Sign: | Okean (Ocean) |
| Number of Crew Members: | 3 |
| Launch: | December 21, 1987 11:18:03 UTC Baikonur LC1 |
| Landing: | June 17, 1988 10:12:32 UTC 180 km SE of Dzhezkazgan |
| Duration: | 178 days 22 hours 54 minutes 29 seconds |
| Number of Orbits: | ~2,890 |
Crew
Launched:
- Vladimir Titov (3)
- Musa Manarov (1)
- Anatoli Levchenko (1)
Landed:
- Anatoly Solovyev (1)
- Viktor Savinykh (1)
- Aleksandr Panayatov Aleksandrov (1) - Bulgaria
Mission Parameters
- Mass: 7070 kg
- Perigee: 337 km
- Apogee: 357 km
- Inclination: 51.6°
- Period: 91.5 minutes
Mission Highlights
4th expedition to Mir. Manarov and Titov replaced Romanenko and Alexandrov. Anatoli Levchenko was a cosmonaut in the Buran shuttle program. Levchenko returned with Romanenko and Alexandrov in Soyuz-TM 3.
Before departing Mir, Romanenko and Alexandrov demonstrated use of EVA equipment to the Okeans. The Okeans delivered biological experiments, including the Aynur biological crystal growth apparatus, which they installed in Kvant. The combined crews conducted an evacuation drill, with the Mir computer simulating an emergency.
Titov and Manarov conducted part of an ongoing survey of galaxies and star groups in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum using the Glazar telescope on Kvant. The survey required photography with exposure times up to 8 min. Even small cosmonaut movements could shake the complex. This produced blurring of astronomical images, so all cosmonaut movements had to be stopped during the exposures.
| Previous Mission: Soyuz TM-3 |
Soyuz programme | Next Mission: Soyuz TM-5 |