Soyuz 31

USSR

International Flight nº: 69

Earth orbit Flight nº: 66

USSR launch Flight nº: 38

Interkosmos-3 flight

Launch & orbit data:

Designation	11010 / 78081A
Launch date - time	26 Aug 1978 - 14:51:30 UT
Launch site	Baikonur, LC1
Launch vehicle	Soyuz 11A511U
OKB name - S/N°	Soyuz 7K-T s/n 47
Basic shape	Sphere-cylinder + 2 wings
Dimension (m)	7.5 long, 2.3 dia
Mass (kg)	6570? kg
Launch Crew (EP-4)	Bykovsky, Valeri F. (CDR) Jähn, Sigmund (CR)
Call Sign	Yastreb (Hawk)
Backup crew	Gorbatko V., Köllner
Earth orbit on Aug 26.8:
- Perigee / Apogee	193 x 243 km
- Eccentricity	0.004
- Inclination	51.62°
- Period	88.80 min

Docking & landing data:

Docking date - time	27 Aug 1978 - 16:37:37 UT
Target spacecraft/port	Salyut 6/ aft
Earth orbit on Aug 28.4:
- Perigee / Apogee	339 x 354 km
- Eccentricity	0.001
- Inclination	51.63°
- Period	91.40 min
Undocking date - time	07 Sep 1978
Redocking date - time	07 Sep 1978
Target spacecraft/port	Salyut 6/ fore
Undocking date - time	02 Nov 1978 - 07:46 UT
Deorbit burn date - time	02 Nov 1978 - 10:15:17 UT
Landing date - time	02 Nov 1978 - 11:04:17 UT
Landing location	46°N, 69°E
Flight Duration (d:hr:min)	67d 20h 12m 47s (67.84 days)
Landing crew	Kovalyonok, Ivanchenkov (crew S-29)
Nbr orbits

Flight Crew

Nr.	Surname	Given name	Job	Duration	Orbits
1	Bykovsky	Valeri Fyodorovich	Commander	7d 20h 49m	124
2	Jähn	Sigmund Werner Paul	Research cosm. - DDR	7d 20h 49m	124

Bykovsky and Jähn returned with Soyuz 29.

Flight:

Launch from Baikonur; landing with Soyuz 29 spacecraft (3 Sep 1978) 180 km southeast of Dzheskasgan; third Intercosmos-mission; first German in space; docking on Salyut 6; scientific research and experiments including photography of Earth surface;

Salyut 6 Detail.

Mission detail:

Manned two crew. Docked with Salyut 6. Delivered to the Salyut-6 station the third international 'Intercosmos' crew consisting of V F Bykovsky (USSR) and S Jähn (German Democratic Republic) to carry out scientific research and experiments.
Soyuz 31 docked with Salyut 6 (2nd airlock) and Suyuz 29 on 27 Aug 1978 (16:34 UT), with one Russian and one East German cosmonaut. The crew returned to Earth in Soyuz 29, undocking Sep 3, 1978.

Salyut 6 & Soyuz 31 docked in space
Soyuz 31, piloted by Soyuz 29 crew, undocked from 2nd airlock and re-docked with 1st airlock on Sep 7, 1978.
Soyuz 31 finally undocked from Salyut 6 on Nov 2, 1978 (07:40 UT), landing the Soyuz 29 crew with a duration record for manned space flight of 139,61 days. (Ref: #1)

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Baikonur, signed by crew.

Cosmic Mail: Cover on board of Salyut 6, with special German boardcancel: 27.-8.78, signed by Soyuz 31 and 29 crew.

Cosmic Mail: Cover on board of Salyut 6, with special Polish boardcancel: -3-07-78, and bordcancel Soyuz 31: 27-8.78 signed by Soyuz 30 &: 31 crew. Credit: #409

Cosmic Mail: Cover on board of Salyut 6, with special Polish boardcancel: -5-7-78, and bordcancel Soyuz 31: 27-8.78 signed by Soyuz 30 &: 31 crew. Credit: #409

Docking cancel 27.08.78 and special German cancel.

Ref.: #1, #2, #4, #7, #8, #16, #125, #206, #210, #409 - update: 03.09.25

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