Kosmos 1669
Template:Infobox Cargo spacecraft Kosmos-1669 (Russian: Космос-1669 meaning Cosmos 1669) was a Progress spacecraft used to resupply the Salyut 7 space station. It was a Progress 7K-TG spacecraft with the serial number 126.
Kosmos-1669 was launched by a Soyuz-U carrier rocket from Site 1/5 at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, at 13:05 GMT on 19 July 1985. The spacecraft docked with the aft port of Salyut 7 at 15:05 GMT on 21 July. Following undocking on 28 August, it moved away from the station, before returning and redocking to test the reliability of the docking system.[1] It undocked for a second time at 21:50 GMT,[2] and was deorbited on 30 August, with the spacecraft burning up over the Pacific Ocean at 01:20 GMT.
Kosmos-1669 was the first cargo spacecraft to visit Salyut 7 after its reactivation. It delivered new spacesuits, to replace ones damaged by cold temperatures whilst Salyut 7 was deactivated,[3] as well as replacement parts and consumables. It was also the last Progress flight as part of the Salyut programme; all further cargo missions to Salyut 7 would use TKS spacecraft. The next Progress mission was Progress 25 to Mir.[1]
As of 2009, Kosmos-1669 is the only Progress spacecraft to have received a Kosmos designation, which are usually reserved for military, experimental and failed spacecraft. It has been reported that this may have been an error due to confusion with a TKS spacecraft which later became Kosmos 1686,[4] or that the spacecraft may have gone out of control shortly after launch, but then been recovered after the Kosmos designation had been applied.[1] Alternatively, it could have been given the designation as it was used to test modifications that would be used on future Progress missions.[3] Some news agencies reported that it was a free-flying Progress-derived spacecraft,[3] or that it was a new type of spacecraft derived from the Progress.[5]
See also
References
- ^ a b c Wade, Mark. "Progress". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
- ^ Christy, Robert. "Third Expedition to Salyut 7 - 1984". Zarya. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
- ^ a b c Portree, David S. F (March 1995). "Mir Hardware Heritage". NASA. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
- ^ Christy, Robert. "Fourth Expedition to Salyut 7 - 1985". Zarya. Retrieved 2009-04-11.
- ^ "New Soviet Craft Docks With Salyut". New York Times. 1985-07-23. Retrieved 2009-04-11.