First space stationIn 1971, Salyut 1 (DOS 1) was launched on a Proton rocket by the Soviet Union. Although primitive, having only a single main module, it was the first space station ever in Earth orbit. Its first crew launched in Soyuz 10 but was unable to board the space station due to a failure in the docking mechanism. The second crew arrived in Soyuz 11 and remained on board for 23 productive days. Tragically, a pressure-equalization valve in the Soyuz 11 reentry capsule opened prematurely when the crew returned to Earth, killing all three. Salyut 1 reentered Earth's atmosphere 11 Oct 1971. Six more Salyut stations followed in the Soviet program, leading up to the launch of space station Mir on 20 Feb 1986.« |
