Salyut 1

                  SALYUT 1

Despite an array of problems,the first space station,salyut1,made important progress toward living and working in space long term and paved the way for future space station.launched by soviet union in 1971,the port orbited the earth almost 3000 times during its 175 days in space before it was intentionally crashed into the Pacific ocean.

Shaped like a cylinder,salyut1 bore three pressurized compartments for astronauts and one unpressurized area containing the engines and control equipment. The station was about 65 feet(20metres)long and 13 feet(4meters)in diameter at its widest point. Two double sets of solar panels extended like wings on the exterior of the compartments at either end.

    Visiting the space station

Salyut1 launched unnamed from the soviet union on April19,1971. Two days later,soyuz 10 lifted off,carrying a crew of three towards the space station with the intenction of remaining in space for 30 days. The cosmonauts attempted to dock with salyut1, but although they were able to lock onto the space station,a problem with the hatch kept them from being able to enter it. They returned home early and unsuccessful. During the reentry process,a problem rendered the air supply of soyuz 10 toxic, and one of the cosmonauts slipped into unconscuosness. All three survived with no long-term effects.

On june 6, soyuz 11 transported cosmonauts georgi dobrovolski,vladislav vovok and viktor patsayev to salyut1,where after three hours,they sucessfully docked with the station. They remained on boards for 383 orbits in the course of just over three weeks,setting a new space endurance record on june16,smoke from a control panel caused the crew to consider a bounding the station, but the unit was switched off and the problem averted.