35 years ago, February 20, 1986, the first module of the Orbital Complex “Peace” was displayed at the near-earth orbit. The first expedition arrived at the station on the piloted ship “Union T-15” (Cosmonauts Leonid Kizim and Vladimir Solovyov) and worked in space from March 13 to July 16, 1986. It was the first long-term expedition to the World Space Station and at the same time the last flight to the seventh “salute”.
At first, on the “world”, there was practically no scientific equipment, and among the few experiments carried out plants in micrographs and astronomical observations. His big part was delivered later along with new modules. The main task of the cosmonauts at the first stage of the flight was to check the operation of the station in all modes, its computing complex and the orientation system.
During this expedition, a unique experiment was performed. On May 5, 1986, at 16:12, the transport piloted ship “Union T-15” was minted from the Mir station and began the first interboronautical flight in the history of astronautics to another station – “Salute-7”, which by that time together with the modified unmanned option Space-1686 supply shipping transport ship has made flight automatic mode for more than five months. For this, the altitude of the orbit station was lowered by 13 km, reducing the distance between it and the “salute” from about 4,000 km to 2.5 thousand km. This maneuver also allowed to save an extremely limited fuel supply on a spacecraft.
Cosmonauts conducted a number of works at the Salute-7 station, performed two outlets into open space. Leonid Kizim and Vladimir Solovyov conducted an experiment on unfolding a transformable farm “Mayak”. Experiments on the deployment of large structures were the most important among the works of NGO “Energy” (now – Energia Rocket and Space Corporation, is part of the Roskosmos State Corporation) and, in particular, the Mayak Farm – one of such experiments that was held Together with the IES named E.O. Paton.
The cosmonauts were asked to extend the flight for another 25 days, so as again to fly to the “World” and transport to a new station with old scientific equipment and equipment that could still be used. As it turned out, Leonid Kizim so masterfully served the docking that the remaining fuel reserve on the “Union T-15” was enough for the reverse flight. Cosmonauts agreed. They were transferred to the “Union T-15” containers with materials of the studies and experiments, part of the scientific equipment and various equipment.
June 25 “Union T-15” rejected from the Salute-7 orbital complex. Leonid Kizima and Vladimir Solovyov lasted 125 days. On July 16, they safely returned to Earth. Until today, these operations remain the only inter-binding flights of manned ships from one object to another.