Soyuz 6

Launch, orbit & landing data: Designation  04122 / 69085A Launch date - time  11 Oct 1969 - 11:10 UT Launch site  Baikonur, LC31 Launch vehicle  Soyuz 11A511 OKB name - S/nº  Soyuz 7K-OK s/nº 14 Basic shape  Sphere-cylinder + 2 wings Dimension (m)  7.5 long, 2.2 dia Mass (kg)  6577 kg Flight Crew  Shonin, Georgi S. (CDR) Kubasov, Valeri N. (FE) Call Sign  Antey (Antaeus) Backup crew  Shatalov V., Yelisyev A. Earth orbit on Oct 1109:    - Perigee / Apogee  192 x 231 km    - Eccentricity  0.003    - Inclination  51.68°    - Period  88.67 min Nbr orbits  80 Landing date - time  16 Oct 1969 - 09:52:47 UT Landing location  51°N, 71°E 180 km NW of Karaganda Flight Duration (d:hr:min)  04:22:42:47 (4.94 days)

Flight Crew

Mission details:

• Launch from Baikonur; landing 180 km northwest of Karaganda. Soyuz 6, 7 & 8 operated as a group flight without docking, they came closed to with a few 100m between each other. First welding work from Kubasov with welding construction "VULKAN".
  
  

  Soyuz capsule in assembly - Credit: RKK Energia.

  
  
• Tested spacecraft systems and designs, manoeuvring of space craft with respect to each other in orbit, conducted scientific, technical and medico-biological experiments in group flight. Carried Vulkan welding furnace for vacuum welding experiments in depressurized orbital module. Was to have taken spectacular motion pictures of Soyuz 7 - Soyuz 8 docking but failure of rendezvous electronics in all three craft due to new helium pressurization integrity test prior to mission did not permit successful rendezvous and dockings.
• Maneuver Summary:
  169km X 224km orbit to 192km X 232km orbit. Delta V: 8 m/s
  192km X 232km orbit to 201km X 230km orbit. Delta V: 2 m/s
  201km X 230km orbit to 203km X 212km orbit. Delta V: 5 m/s
  203km X 212km orbit to 215km X 242km orbit. Delta V: 11 m/s
  Total Delta V: 26 m/s.

Astrophilately covers:

Launch cancel Liepaja - yellow.

Launch cancel Magadan.

Launch cancel Panevezio, Rendezvous flight Soyuz 6, 7 & 8.

FDC Moscou, signed by Shonin & Kubasov.