The Rescue of “Salyut-7”: The Story of the Heroic Feat of Soviet Cosmonauts.

On April 19, 1982, the Soviet orbital station “Salyut-7” was launched into Earth’s orbit by a “Proton-K” carrier rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. It was intended for various scientific research in zero gravity and was supposed to operate for 5 years. However, on February 11, 1985, after a six-month absence of crew on the station, the flight control center lost contact with it.

Since the station had not completed its intended 5-year lifespan and the malfunction was likely non-critical, a few months later, an expedition was sent to repair “Salyut-7,” a mission that, over time, became enveloped in myths. Therefore, this article will discuss the heroic feat of the Soviet cosmonauts on “Salyut-7.”

On February 11, 1985, at 9:23 Moscow time, the flight control center lost contact with “Salyut-7.” At that moment, the station became an uncontrollable twenty-ton object, gradually lowering its orbit and approaching Earth. Only the party leadership and specialists involved in the station’s operations in the Soviet Union knew about the problem. At the same time, the world media screamed that the uncontrolled Soviet station could fall to Earth at any moment.

Their fear was understandable, as the United States faced a similar issue in 1979 when the American orbital station…