Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site utastro.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!qantel!dual!mordor!ut-sally!utastro!dipper From: dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd) Newsgroups: net.astro Subject: StarDate: September 29 The Salyut 6 Space Station Message-ID: <766@utastro.UUCP> Date: Sun, 29-Sep-85 02:00:34 EDT Article-I.D.: utastro.766 Posted: Sun Sep 29 02:00:34 1985 Date-Received: Sat, 5-Oct-85 06:44:55 EDT Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX Lines: 39 Today is the anniversary of the launch of the longest lived-in structure in outer space. More -- in a minute. September 29 The Salyut 6 Space Station On this date in the year 1977, the Soviets launched what would become the closest thing the world has known -- so far -- to a real space station. It was Salyut 6, which came down again in the summer of l982. Sixteen crews of Soviet cosmonauts visited Salyut in the course of missions that lasted from a few days to more than six months at a time. While Salyut 6 was in orbit, the Soviets perfected a new technique for sending supplies and fuel to the space station. They used robots -- unmanned capsules that they called "Progress" spacecraft -- which automatically docked with the station. One of these automatic supply ships was also used as a building block module. It was permanently docked to Salyut 6 to nearly double the size of the structure. This technique of adding modules to a basic structure will soon be used to build other, even larger structures in space -- when Russia and the United States start building larger space stations. The Soviets now have another small space station in orbit -- Salyut 7 -- launched in 1983. This past July a new version of the robot Progress capsule docked with Salyut 7. Designated Cosmos 1669, the capsule carries its own independent electrical supply. Cosmos 1669 could be the prototype of a free-flying platform -- part of an orbital complex of space structures. In the meantime, there's no doubt that the Soviets will continue to place cosmonauts in orbit -- to explore the potential of humans living in space. Script by Deborah Byrd and Diana Hadley. (c) Copyright 1984, 1985 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin Brought to you by Super Global Mega Corp .com