 | |
| Operator | Soviet space program |
|---|---|
| COSPAR ID | 1976-064A |
| SATCAT no. | 8934 |
| Mission duration | 49 days, 6 hours and 23 minutes |
| Orbits completed | 791 |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Soyuz 7K-T No.9 |
| Spacecraft type | Soyuz 7K-T/A9 |
| Manufacturer | NPO Energia |
| Launch mass | 6,750 kg (14,880 lb)[1] |
| Landing mass | 1,200 kg (2,600 lb) |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 2 |
| Members | Boris Volynov Vitaly Zholobov |
| Callsign | Байкал (Baikal - "Lake Baikal") |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 6 July 1976, 12:08:45 UTC |
| Rocket | Soyuz 11A511 |
| Launch site | Baikonur 1/5[2] |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 24 August 1976, 18:32:17 UTC |
| Landing site | 200 km at the southwest of Kokshetau, Kazakhstan |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit[3] |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Perigee altitude | 193 km (120 mi) |
| Apogee altitude | 253 km (157 mi) |
| Inclination | 51.6° |
| Period | 88.7 minutes |
| Docking with Salyut 5[4] | |
| Docking date | 7 July 1976, 13:40:00 UTC |
| Undocking date | 24 August 1976, 13:40:13 UTC |
| Time docked | 48 days |
 Vimpel Diamond patch  Soviet stamp featuring Volynov and Zholobov (1976) | |
Soyuz 21 (Russian: Союз 21, Union 21) was a 1976 Soviet crewed mission to the Salyut 5 space station, the first of three flights to the station.[4] The mission's objectives were mainly military in scope, but included other scientific work. The mission ended abruptly with cosmonauts Boris Volynov and Vitaly Zholobov returning to Earth after 49 days in orbit. The precise reason for the early end of the mission was the subject of much speculation, but was reported to be an emergency evacuation after the Salyut atmosphere developed an acrid odor.
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