Soyuz TM-9 was the ninth expedition to the Russian Space Station Mir.[1]
COSPAR ID | 1990-014A ![]() |
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SATCAT no. | 20494![]() |
Mission duration | 179 days, 1 hour, 17 minutes, 57 seconds |
Orbits completed | ~2,895 |
Spacecraft properties | |
Spacecraft type | Soyuz-TM |
Manufacturer | NPO Energia |
Launch mass | 7,150 kilograms (15,760 lb) |
Crew | |
Crew size | 2 |
Members | Anatoly Solovyev Aleksandr Balandin |
Callsign | Родни́к (Rodnik- Spring) |
Start of mission | |
Launch date | 11 February 1990, 06:16:00 (1990-02-11UTC06:16Z) UTC |
Rocket | Soyuz-U2 |
End of mission | |
Landing date | 9 August 1990, 07:33:57 (1990-08-09UTC07:33:58Z) UTC |
Landing site | 70 kilometres (43 mi) NE of Arkalyk - 50.85 N; 67.28 E |
Orbital parameters | |
Reference system | Geocentric |
Regime | Low Earth |
Perigee altitude | 373 kilometres (232 mi) |
Apogee altitude | 387 kilometres (240 mi) |
Inclination | 51.6 degrees |
Period | 92.2 minutes |
Docking with Mir | |
Docking date | 13 February 1990, 06:37:47 UTC |
Undocking date | 9 August 1990, 04:08:49 UTC |
![]() Soyuz programme (Crewed missions) |
Position | Crew | |
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Commander | ![]() Second spaceflight | |
Flight Engineer | ![]() First spaceflight |
During docking, cosmonauts aboard Mir noticed that three of the eight thermal blankets (layers of foil vacuum-shield insulation) on the descent module of the approaching Soyuz-TM 9 spacecraft had come loose from their attachments near the heat shield, yet remained attached at their top ends. The main concern was that the capsule might cool down, permitting condensation to form inside and short out its electrical systems. There was also fear that the blankets might block the infrared vertical sensor, which oriented the module for reentry.
Three other areas of concern emerged: that the explosive bolts binding the service module to the descent module might fail to work after direct exposure to space, that the heat shield might be compromised by direct space exposure, and that an EVA to repair the blankets might cause additional damage. Consideration was given to flying Soyuz TM-10 with one cosmonaut aboard as a rescue mission. During an EVA, the cosmonauts folded back two of the three blankets and left the third alone. During reentry, the cosmonauts ejected both the orbital module and the service module simultaneously in an effort to minimize the chances that a blanket could snag. Normally the orbital module went first. The descent module suffered no damage as a result of its prolonged exposure to space conditions. Reentry occurred as normal.
Soyuz programme | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Main topics |
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Past missions (by spacecraft type) |
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Current missions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Future missions |
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Uncrewed missions are designated as Kosmos instead of Soyuz; exceptions are noted "(uncrewed)". The † sign designates failed missions. Italics designates cancelled missions. |
Human spaceflights to Mir | ||
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1986–1990 | ![]() | |
1991–1995 | ||
1996–2000 |
← 1989 · Orbital launches in 1990 · 1991 → | |
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Skynet 4A · JCSAT-2 | STS-32 (Leasat 5) | Kosmos 2055 | Kosmos 2056 | SPOT-2 · UoSAT-3 · UoSAT-4 · Pacsat · DOVE · Webersat · LUSat | Molniya-3 No.53L | Hiten · Hagoromo | USA-50) | Kosmos 2057 | Kosmos 2058 | Zhongxing 3 | Kosmos 2059 | Momo 1b · Orizuru · Fuju 1b | Soyuz TM-9 | USA-51 · USA-52 | Gran' No.35L | Superbird B · BS 2x | Nadezhda No.405 | Okean-O1 No.5 | STS-36 (USA-53) | Progress M-3 | Intelsat 603 | Kosmos 2060 | Kosmos 2061 | Kosmos 2062 | USA-54 | Kosmos 2063 | Ofek-2 | Unnamed | Pegsat · USA-55 | Kosmos 2064 · Kosmos 2065 · Kosmos 2066 · Kosmos 2067 · Kosmos 2068 · Kosmos 2069 · Kosmos 2070 · Kosmos 2071 | AsiaSat 1 | USA-56 · USA-57 · USA-58 | Foton No.6L | Kosmos 2072 | Palapa B2R | Kosmos 2073 | Kosmos 2074 | STS-31 (Hubble) | Kosmos 2075 | Molniya-1 No.71 | Kosmos 2076 | Progress 42 | Kosmos 2077 | MacSat 1 · MacSat 2 | Kosmos 2078 | Kosmos 2079 · Kosmos 2080 · Kosmos 2081 | Kosmos 2082 | Resurs-F1 No.50 | Kristall | ROSAT | USA-59 · USA-60 · USA-61 · USA-62 | INSAT-1D | Molniya 3 No.47L | Kosmos 2083 | Gorizont No.30L | Kosmos 2084 | Intelsat 604 | Meteor-2 No.23 | Unnamed | Gamma | Badr-1 · Optus-MFS | Resurs-F2 No.5 | Kosmos 2085 | Kosmos 2086 | TDF 2 · DFS Kopernikus 2 | Kosmos 2087 | CRRES | Kosmos 2088 | Soyuz TM-10 | USA-63 | Kosmos 2089 | Kosmos 2090 · Kosmos 2091 · Kosmos 2092 · Kosmos 2093 · Kosmos 2094 · Kosmos 2095 | Ekran-M No.14L | Molniya-1T No.68 | Progress M-4 | Resurs-F1 No.49 | Marco Polo 2 | Kosmos 2096 | Kosmos 2097 | Yuri 3a | Kosmos 2098 | Skynet 4C · Eutelsat II F-1 | Kosmos 2099 | Fengyun I-02 · Qiqiuweixing 1 · Qiqiuweixing 2 | Resurs-F1 No.51 | Kosmos 2100 | Molniya-3 No.54L | Progress M-5 | Meteor-2 No.25 | Kosmos 2101 | USA-64 | Unnamed | FSW-1 No.3 | STS-41 (Ulysses) | SBS 6 · Westar 6S | Kosmos 2102 | Inmarsat-2F1 | Gorizont No.32L | USA-65 | Kosmos 2103 | STS-38 (USA-67 · Prowler) | Kosmos 2104 | Kosmos 2105 | Satcom C1 · GStar 4 | Molniya 1T No.70 | Gorizont No.33L | USA-66 | Kosmos 2106 | USA-68 | STS-35 | Soyuz TM-11 | Kosmos 2107 | Kosmos 2108 | Kosmos 2109 · Kosmos 2110 · Kosmos 2111 | Kosmos 2112 | Gran' No.37L | Kosmos 2113 | Kosmos 2114 · Kosmos 2115 · Kosmos 2116 · Kosmos 2117 · Kosmos 2118 · Kosmos 2119 | Kosmos 2120 | Globus No.12 | |
Payloads are separated by bullets ( · ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in underline. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in (brackets). |