Engineering:Soyuz 20

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Short description: Uncrewed flight of the Soyuz programme
Soyuz 20
Mission typeTest flight
OperatorSoviet space program
COSPAR ID1975-106A
SATCAT no.08430
Mission duration90 days 11 hours 47 minutes
Orbits completed1470
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftSoyuz 7K-T No.8
Spacecraft typeSoyuz 7K-T/A9
ManufacturerNPO Energia
Launch mass6570 kg [1]
Landing mass2800 kg
Dimensions7.13 m long
2.72 m wide
Start of mission
Launch date17 November 1975,
14:36:37 UTC
RocketSoyuz-U
Launch siteBaikonur, Site 1/5[2]
End of mission
Landing date16 February 1976, 02:24 UTC
Landing site56 km at the southwest of Arkalyk, Kazakhstan
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit[3]
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Perigee altitude199.7 km
Apogee altitude263.5 km
Inclination51.6°
Period88.8 minutes
Docking with Salyut 4
← Soyuz 19
 

Soyuz 20 (Russian: Союз 20, Union 20) was an uncrewed spacecraft launched by the Soviet Union. It was a long-duration test of the Soyuz spacecraft that docked with the Salyut 4 space station. Soyuz 20 performed comprehensive checking of improved on-board systems of the spacecraft under various flight conditions. It also carried a biological payload. Living organisms were exposed to three months in space.

Mission parameters

  • Mass: 6,570 kg (14,480 lb) [1]
  • Perigee: 199.7 km (124.1 mi)[3]
  • Apogee: 263.5 km (163.7 mi)
  • Inclination: 51.6°
  • Period: 88.8 minutes

Return

It was recovered on 16 February 1976 at 02:24 UTC.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Display: Soyuz 20 1975-106A". NASA. 14 May 2020. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1975-106A.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. "Baikonur LC1". Encyclopedia Astronautica. Archived from the original. Error: If you specify |archiveurl=, you must also specify |archivedate=. https://web.archive.org/web/20090415160730/http://www.astronautix.com/sites/baiurlc1.htm. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Trajectory: Soyuz 20 1975-106A". NASA. 14 May 2020. https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=1975-106A.  This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.