Soyuz 40

Infobox Space mission
mission_name = Soyuz 40
sign = Dnieper
crew_members = 2
launch = May 14, 1981
17:16:38 UTC
Gagarin's Start
landing = May 22, 1981
13:58:30 UTC
225 km SE of Dzhezkazgan
duration = 7d/20:41:52
orbits = 124
next = Soyuz T-5
previous = Soyuz 39 |

Crew

Number in parentheses indicates number of spaceflights by each individual prior to and including this mission.
*Leonid Popov (2) - Commander
*Dumitru Prunariu (Romania) (1) - Research Cosmonaut

Backup crew

*Yuri Romanenko - Commander
*Dumitru Dediu (Romania) - Research Cosmonaut

Mission parameters

*Mass: 6800 kg
*Perigee: 198.1 km
*Apogee: 287 km
*Inclination: 51.6°
*Period: 89.06 minutes

Mission highlights

16th expedition to Salyut 6. 9th international crew. Carried intercosmos cosmonaut from Romania. Last Soyuz Ferry flight; ended the first phase of the Intercosmos program, which concentrated on placing citizens of Soviet bloc states into space. In all, nine Intercosmos missions were launched between 1978 and 1981.

Soyuz 40 was the last of the original Soyuz spacecraft (due to its replacement by the Soyuz-T) and the last Soyuz spacecraft to dock with Salyut 6. It also ended the first phase of the Intercosmos program by carrying Romanian cosmonaut Dumitru Prunariu and Soviet cosmonaut Leonid Popov to the station. Prunariu studied Earth’s magnetic field. Earth observations had to be delayed until the last day of his flight, when Salyut 6 at last passed over Romania in daylight. During this time the crew also tested the station’s orientation system.