Soyuz-TM spacecraft. Compare the antennae on the orbital module to those on Soyuz-T. Differences reflect the change from the Igla rendezvous system used on Soyuz-T to the Kurs rendezvous system used on Soyuz-TM.
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Manufacturer | Korolev |
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Country of origin |
USSR Russia |
Operator | Soviet space program/Russian Federal Space Agency |
Applications | Carry three cosmonauts to Mir and ISS and back |
Specifications | |
Design life | Up to six months docked to station |
Regime | Low Earth orbit |
Production | |
Status | Out of service |
Launched | 34 |
First launch | Soyuz TM-1, 1986 |
Last launch | Soyuz TM-34, 2002 |
Related spacecraft | |
Derived from | Soyuz-T |
Derivatives | Soyuz-TMA |
The Soyuz-TM crew transports (T - транспортный - Transportnyi - meaning transport, M - модифицированный - Modifitsirovannyi - meaning modified) were fourth generation (1986–2002) Soyuz spacecraft used for ferry flights to the Mir and ISS space stations. It added to the Soyuz-T new docking and rendezvous, radio communications, emergency and integrated parachute/landing engine systems. The new Kurs rendezvous and docking system and the new KTDU-80 propulsion module permitted the Soyuz-TM to maneuver independently of the station, without the station making "mirror image" maneuvers to match unwanted translations introduced by earlier models' aft-mounted attitude control.
The final Soyuz-TM flight was Soyuz TM-34, which launched April 25, 2002 and landed November 10, 2002.