Soyuz TM-19

Soyuz TM-19
Mission insignia
Mission statistics
Mission name	Soyuz TM-19
Spacecraft mass	7150 kg
Crew size	2 launched / 3 landed
Call sign	Ага́т (Agat - Agate)
Launch date	July 1, 1994 12:24:50 UTC Gagarin's Start
Landing	November 4, 1994 11:18:26 UTC 88 km NE of Arkalyk
Mission duration	125 days, 22 h, 53 min, 36 s
Number of orbits	1993
Apogee	222 km
Perigee	202 km
Orbital period	88.5 minutes
Orbital inclination	51.6°
Related missions
Previous mission Subsequent mission Soyuz TM-18 Soyuz TM-20

Crew

Position	Launching Crew	Landing Crew
Commander	Yuri Malenchenko First spaceflight
Flight Engineer	Talgat Musabayev First spaceflight
Research Cosmonaut	None	Ulf Merbold Third spaceflight

Mission highlights

Commander Malenchenko and Flight Engineer Musabayev, spaceflight rookies, were to have been launched with veteran cosmonaut Gennadi Strekalov, who would have returned to Earth with Viktor Afanaseyev and Yuri Usachyov in Soyuz-TM 18 after a few days on Mir. However, cancellation of one of two Progress-M cargo ships scheduled to resupply Mir during the Agat crew’s stay meant Strekalov’s couch had to carry supplies. The result was an unusual all-rookie flight. Docking occurred without incident on July 3. On November 3, Musabayev, Malenchenko, and Merbold undocked in Soyuz-TM 19 and backed 190 m from Mir. They then activated the Kurs automatic approach system, which successfully redocked the spacecraft. The cosmonauts then transferred back to Mir. The test was related to the difficulties Soyuz-TM 20 and Progress-M 24 experienced during their automatic approaches. Final undocking and reentry the following day occurred without incident.

Mission accomplishments

• Docked with Mir
• Exchange part of crew
• Conducted medical experiments
• Conducted materials experiments
• Both cosmonauts perform EVA 09.09.1994 (5h 6m) to repair station's external insulation
• Both cosmonauts repeat EVA on 14.09.1994 (6h 1m) for same purpose
• First successful manual docking of a Progress supply ship

Notes

Both cosmonauts and Doctor Valeri Polyakov (arrived on Soyuz TM-18) became the 16th resident crew; many technical problems with the station arose during this mission, necessitating a previously untried manual supply dock by Malenchenko.