11 Facts About Salyut 6

Salyut 6 was the first space station to receive large numbers of crewed and uncrewed spacecraft for human habitation, crew transfer, international participation and resupply, establishing precedents for station life and operations which were enhanced on Mir and the International Space Station.

Salyut 6 was the first "second generation" space station, representing a major breakthrough in capabilities and operational success.

Salyut 6 was visited and resupplied by twelve uncrewed Progress spacecraft including Progress 1, the first instance of the series.

Additionally, Salyut 6 was visited by the first instances of the new Soyuz-T spacecraft.

Success of Salyut 6 contrasted with the programme's earlier failures and limited successes.

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Between each of these intervals Salyut 6 was vacant, although it was visited by Soyuz T-1 and Kosmos 1267 during its periods of vacancy.

Salyut 6, launched on a Proton 8K82K rocket on 29 September 1977, marked the switch from engineering development stations to routine operations, and united the most effective elements from each of the previous stations.

However Salyut 6 was not occupied continuously, or "handed off" from one expedition to another.

Salyut 6 introduced a Unified Propulsion System, with both the engines and the station's control thrusters running on unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide, drawn from a common set of pressurized tanks, allowing the refueling capabilities of the visiting Progress tankers to be exploited to the maximal effect.

The telescope could be operated only when Salyut 6 was on the night side of the Earth and had its cover closed for the rest of the time.

Salyut 6 was primarily supported by the manned Soyuz spacecraft, which carried out crew rotations and would have been used in the event of an emergency evacuation.