Soyuz T-12 facts for kids
Soyuz T-12 was an important space mission from the Soviet Union in July 1984. It was the seventh time a crew flew to the Salyut 7 space station. The mission is famous because one of its crew members, Svetlana Savitskaya, became the first woman ever to perform a spacewalk. Another crew member, Igor Volk, gained experience for a future space shuttle program called Buran. Unlike some other missions, the Soyuz T-12 spacecraft was used for both launching the crew into space and bringing them back to Earth.
| Mission duration | 11 days, 19 hours, 14 minutes, 36 seconds |
|---|---|
| Orbits completed | 186 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Soyuz-T |
| Manufacturer | NPO Energia |
| Launch mass | 7,020 kilograms (15,480 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 3 |
| Members | Vladimir Dzhanibekov Svetlana Savitskaya Igor Volk |
| Callsign | Pamir (Pamir Mountains) |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | July 17, 1984, 17:40:54 UTC |
| Rocket | Soyuz-U2 |
| Launch site | Baikonur 31/6 |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | July 29, 1984, 12:55:30 UTC |
| Landing site | 140 kilometres (87 mi) SE of Dzhezkazgan |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric |
| Regime | Low Earth |
| Perigee | 192 kilometres (119 mi) |
| Apogee | 218 kilometres (135 mi) |
| Inclination | 51.6 degrees |
| Period | 88.6 minutes |
| Docking with Salyut 7 | |
 Soyuz T-12 with spacewalk Soyuz programme
(Crewed missions) |
|
Contents
Why Was This Mission Important?
This mission had two main goals. One was to give Igor Volk experience flying in space. He was a test pilot chosen to fly the future Soviet space shuttle, called Buran. A rule said that all Soviet space missions needed at least one crew member who had flown in space before. So, Volk needed this flight.
The other big reason for Soyuz T-12 was to make sure a Soviet woman was the first to walk in space. In November 1983, the American space agency NASA announced that an American woman would do a spacewalk. The head of the Soviet space program, NPO Energia, wanted the Soviets to achieve this first. So, the Soyuz T-12 crew was quickly put together to include Svetlana Savitskaya.
At the time, the Buran space shuttle program was a secret. So, when Igor Volk was part of the crew, some people wondered why a test pilot was on a Soyuz mission. Usually, these spots were for scientists or astronauts from other countries.
Who Were the Crew Members?
The Soyuz T-12 mission had three brave cosmonauts. Their callsign, or team name, was "Pamir," like the Pamir Mountains.
Main Crew
| Position | Crew | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander |  Vladimir DzhanibekovFourth spaceflight |
|
| Flight Engineer | Svetlana Savitskaya Second and last spaceflight |
|
| Research Cosmonaut | Igor Volk Only spaceflight |
|
Backup Crew
These cosmonauts were ready to fly if the main crew couldn't.
| Position | Crew | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Vladimir Vasyutin |
|
| Flight Engineer | Yekaterina Ivanova |
|
| Research Cosmonaut | Viktor Savinykh |
|
What Happened During the Mission?
Soyuz T-12 was the seventh crew to visit the Salyut 7 space station. The mission lasted for almost 12 days.
The most exciting part of the mission happened on July 25. Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Svetlana Savitskaya went outside the space station for a spacewalk. This spacewalk lasted for 3 hours and 30 minutes. During this time, Svetlana Savitskaya made history by becoming the first woman to ever perform a spacewalk!
During their spacewalk, they tested a special tool called the URI multipurpose tool. They used it to cut, weld, solder, and coat metal samples in space. This was important for learning how to repair things outside a spacecraft.
While the Soyuz T-12 crew was at Salyut 7, all six cosmonauts on board also did other experiments. They performed "Rezonans" tests and collected samples of the air inside the station.
Images for kids
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Soyuz T-12 with spacewalk
See also
In Spanish: Soyuz T-12 para niños
