During the intense Cold War era, where the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a fierce competition for supremacy, one of the most dramatic space stories unfolded quietly in the vacuum of space. The Soviet space station, Salyut 7, faced a dire situation that would test the limits of human ingenuity and determination. This is the story of how a seemingly doomed space station was brought back to life against all odds, marking one of the most extraordinary chapters in space history.
The Cold War: A Race Beyond Earth
The Cold War wasn’t just a geopolitical struggle on Earth; it extended far beyond our planet’s atmosphere, as both the United States and the Soviet Union vied to prove their superiority through space exploration. This rivalry led to the creation of numerous space stations designed to conduct various scientific experiments in orbit. The Soviet Union’s Salyut program and the United States’ Skylab were both products of this competition, each aiming to push the boundaries of human endurance and technological innovation in space.
The Genesis of Salyut 7
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Soviet Union had successfully launched several Salyut space stations. These stations were small, but they were crucial for the Soviet space program, serving as platforms for scientific research and a symbol of Soviet presence in space. However, as the decade progressed, the Soviets decided to step up their game. They began work on the Mir space station, a more advanced and long-term platform that would outshine their previous efforts.
But before Mir could be launched, the Soviets needed to maintain their foothold in space. Enter Salyut 7, the final station in the Salyut series. Launched on April 19, 1982, Salyut 7 was equipped with docking ports at both ends, allowing for the docking of additional spacecraft and facilitating crew rotation and supply missions. The station was a testament to Soviet engineering, and its early missions were marked by success, including a record-setting 211-day stay by a crew of cosmonauts.
Early Successes and Rising Challenges
Salyut 7’s first year in orbit was largely successful, with its crew achieving significant milestones, such as the launch of a 28-kg radio satellite from the station—a first in space history. However, the challenges began to mount in 1983 when a fuel tank on the station developed a leak. In the vacuum of space, even a tiny puncture can have catastrophic consequences, and the cosmonauts on board had limited tools to address the issue.
To resolve the problem, the Soviet ground control launched another spacecraft carrying additional crew members and the necessary tools for repair. This mission involved a complex extravehicular activity (EVA), where cosmonauts had to weld the leak from outside the station. Despite the complexity and danger of the operation, the repair was successful, allowing Salyut 7 to continue its mission.
The Crisis of 1985: Salyut 7 Loses Control
In 1984, after completing another successful mission, the crew of Salyut 7 returned to Earth, leaving the station on autopilot. The Soviet ground team took over monitoring the station remotely. However, on February 11, 1985, disaster struck. An electrical surge caused the station to lose contact with ground control. Attempts to reconnect failed, and a subsequent surge resulted in a complete loss of power, leaving Salyut 7 drifting uncontrollably in orbit.
The situation was dire. The station, now a 16-meter long, 20-ton object, was careening through space at a speed of 27,000 km/h, with no means of communication or control. For the Soviet Union, this was a nightmare scenario—not only because of the potential loss of a valuable asset but also because of the geopolitical implications. If the United States were to capture the drifting station, it would be a major propaganda victory.
The Unprecedented Rescue Mission
With the Buran shuttle still in development and unable to assist, the Soviet Union was left with only one option: send a crew to manually dock with and repair Salyut 7. This mission was extraordinarily risky. Docking with an uncontrolled space station required precise calculations and flawless execution. A single mistake could lead to disaster, endangering the lives of the cosmonauts.
On June 6, 1985, a Soyuz spacecraft was launched with two cosmonauts onboard, tasked with what seemed like an impossible mission. Equipped with a laser rangefinder and night vision goggles, the cosmonauts spent two days in orbit, slowly and carefully approaching the wayward station. The first sign of trouble was evident as they neared Salyut 7—the solar panels were misaligned, indicating a total electrical failure.
Using the laser rangefinder, the crew managed to align their spacecraft with Salyut 7 and, after a tense approach, successfully docked with the station. But the real challenge was just beginning.
Inside the Frozen Tomb
Upon entering Salyut 7, the cosmonauts were met with a chilling sight—literally. The station’s interior was dark, and the temperature had plummeted to a bone-chilling -150 degrees Celsius. The power failure had also shut down the ventilation system, leading to a build-up of carbon dioxide and making the air inside almost unbreathable.
To prevent further risks, the cosmonauts decided that only one of them would stay inside the station at a time, alternating their time between the frigid darkness of Salyut 7 and the relative safety of their Soyuz spacecraft. They quickly realized that their supplies were limited—they had enough food and water for just 12 days, far less than what might be needed to fully repair the station.
The Key to Salvation: A Tiny Sensor
After carefully diagnosing the station’s systems, the cosmonauts discovered that the entire crisis had been caused by the failure of a single sensor. This sensor, responsible for preventing the batteries from overcharging, had malfunctioned, leading to the complete drain of the station’s power supply. With the batteries dead, the entire system shut down, plunging the station into darkness.
The cosmonauts replaced the faulty sensor and manually adjusted the solar panels to start recharging the batteries. To their immense relief, Salyut 7 began to come back to life. Systems that had been dormant for months slowly powered up, and the station’s temperature and atmosphere began to stabilize.
The Aftermath: A Mission Accomplished
The successful repair of Salyut 7 was nothing short of a miracle. Against all odds, the cosmonauts had revived a dead space station, restoring it to operational status. Salyut 7 continued to function for another year, even playing a role in the Soviet Union’s next major space endeavor—the Mir space station. In a symbolic gesture, the crew of Mir visited Salyut 7, transferring from one station to the other in a feat that set a new world record.
However, the end of Salyut 7 was inevitable. In 1991, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, funding for the space program dried up, and Salyut 7 was left to drift in orbit. Eventually, it re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, breaking apart over South America. The final chapter of the Salyut program had come to a close.
1. What caused the electrical failure in Salyut 7?
The electrical failure in Salyut 7 was caused by the malfunction of a sensor that regulated the charging of the station’s batteries. When this sensor failed, the batteries drained completely, leading to a total shutdown of the station’s systems.
2. How did the cosmonauts manage to dock with an uncontrollable space station?
The cosmonauts used a laser rangefinder and night vision goggles to carefully approach Salyut 7. They aligned their spacecraft with the station manually, matching its rotation and speed before successfully docking.
3. What was the ultimate fate of Salyut 7?
After its repair, Salyut 7 continued to function for another year. However, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the station was abandoned. It eventually re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and disintegrated over South America.
Conclusion
The story of Salyut 7 is a testament to human resilience and ingenuity. Faced with an unprecedented challenge, the Soviet Union’s cosmonauts accomplished the impossible, saving a space station that seemed lost forever. Their efforts not only preserved a vital piece of Soviet space infrastructure but also demonstrated the extraordinary lengths to which humanity will go to conquer the final frontier.
