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Soyuz 23

SoyuzSoviet Space Program1/5
Thursday, October 14, 1976 · 05:39 PM UTCAdd to Calendar

This mission is complete.

Vehicle

The Soyuz 2.1A converted the flight control system from analog to digital, which allowed launch from fixed platforms. It also allowed big fairings and payloads. It is currently used fo...

Height46.3 m
LEO Payload7,020 kg
Launches2456
Successes2288

Provider

Soviet Space Program

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Mission Brief

Soyuz 23 was meant to be the second crewed flight to the Salyut 5 military space station. The mission began on October 14, 1976, 17:39:18 UTC, launching Commander Vyacheslav Zudov and Flight Engineer Valery Rozhdestvensky into orbit. They arrived at the station, but equipment malfunction did not allow docking and the mission had to be aborted Soyuz 23 returned to Earth on October 16, 1976, 17:45:53 UTC, with an unintended splashdown in partially frozen Lake Tengiz. The capsule sunk, and due to fog and other adverse conditions it took nine hours for the rescue team to recover the capsule and crew.

PayloadSoyuz 23
OrbitLow Earth Orbit
CustomerSoyuz, Salyut
Stages3
Pad1/5, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

Mission Timeline

14 / 14100%
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Launch Site

1/5, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan

LAUNCH SITE
45.920°N, 63.342°E

Schedule History

No delays or schedule changes recorded.