COSPAR ID | 1989-071A |
---|---|
Mission duration | 166 days, 6 hours, 58 minutes, 15 seconds |
Orbits completed | ~2,680 |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | Soyuz-TM |
Manufacturer | NPO Energia |
Launch mass | 7,150 kilograms (15,760 lb) |
Crew | |
Crew size | 2 |
Members |
Alexander Viktorenko Aleksandr Serebrov |
Callsign | Ви́тязь (Vityaz - Knight) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | September 5, 1989, 21:38:03 | UTC
Rocket | Soyuz-U2 |
End of mission | |
Landing date | February 19, 1990, 04:36:18 | UTC
Landing site | 55 kilometres (34 mi) NE of Arkalyk |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
Perigee | 390 kilometres (240 mi) |
Apogee | 392 kilometres (244 mi) |
Inclination | 51.6 degrees |
Period | 92.4 minutes |
Docking with Mir | |
Soyuz programme
(Manned missions) |
Soyuz TM-8 was a spacecraft used to launch and land the crew of the fifth long duration crew to the Soviet Space Station Mir. It was part of the Soyuz-TM series of spacecraft, which were the fourth generation of the Soviet Soyuz. Soyuz TM-8 was the eighth manned spaceflight to Mir, and spent 166 days in orbit.
The crew consisted of two Soviet cosmonauts. They had both been in space, but only Viktorenko had previously been to Mir, which was a 7-day visit during Mir EP-1.
The Soyuz-U2 rocket was painted with advertisements. During the Soyuz spacecraft's final approach to Mir (4 metre distance), the Kurs rendezvous and docking system malfunctioned, so Viktorenko took over manual control and withdrew to 20 metres, and then docked manually. The spacecraft spent 166 days attached to Mir, for the duration of the expedition Mir EO-5.
Soyuz TM-8 landed at 04:36 UTC on 19 February 1990, after an uneventful flight to Earth.