Launch vehicle
Soyuz
- Recorded launches
- 32
- First flight
- 1966-11-28
Historical mission record
This page records Soyuz | Soyuz 21 and its reported outcome: Launch Successful. The date above is a historical record.
Source record updated . This is a source update, not a confirmed launch time.
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Mission status
Launch Successful
Status reported by the mission data provider.
LAUNCH SITEBaikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
Mission
Soyuz 21 was the first crewed mission to the Salyut 5 military space station. The mission began on July 6, 1976, 12:08:45 UTC, launching Commander Boris Volynov and Flight Engineer Vitaly Zholobov into orbit. Spacecraft docked with the station on July 7. During their stay on the station, crew conducted scientific experiments, inculding the first use of Kristall furnace for crystal growth, solar observations and experiments of military nature. The mission was expected to last for 60 days, but emergincies occured on the 42nd day, which included shutdown of several onboard systems, oxygen regeneration system among those. Crew restored functionality of the spaceship, but both Volynov and Zholobov's health was deteriorated, and mission had to end early. The mission concluded after 49 days with a rough landing back on Earth on August 24, 1976, 18:32:17 UTC.
- Launch vehicle
- Soyuz
- Mission type
- Human Exploration
- Destination orbit
- Low Earth Orbit
- Spacecraft
- Soyuz 21
- Destination
- Salyut 5
- Launch pad
- 1/5
- Provider
- Soviet Space Program
- Programs
- Soyuz, Salyut
The vehicle
Published configuration and flight history.
Recorded timing
This is a mission record, not an upcoming calendar appointment.
Instantaneous windowPublished target
SCHEDULED MOMENT
A single scheduled moment. The schedule may change before launch.
Launch site & orbit
Baikonur Cosmodrome, Republic of Kazakhstan
The mission in perspective
Launch site & orbit
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Coverage & sources
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Mission coverage
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Further reading
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