Posts: 273
From:
Registered: Jul 2016

posted 11-09-2017 01:20 AM               

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The first Soyuz spacecraft (Soyuz 1 through Soyuz 8) had solar panels and could stay in space for over a week. But the first Soyuz spacecraft designed for use with the Salyut space station (Soyuz 12 through 40) did not have solar panels and used chemical batteries instead. And they could only stay in space for two days before oxygen would be depleted in the spacecraft.

I assume this was done to save weight in the spacecraft so that supplies could be carried to the space station or so that more fuel could be carried aboard the spacecraft for maneuvering purposes. Does anyone know if the weight savings were for supplies or for fuel?

Secondly, the very first spacecraft to visit a Salyut were Soyuz 10 and 11 and these craft also could only stay in space for two days. But did these spacecrafts have solar panels or chemical batteries?

Posts: 691
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003

Posts: 1463
From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010

posted 11-10-2017 10:23 PM               

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Soyuz 10 and 11 had solar arrays and were the same as 1 through 9. They did not have the two day flight time limit.

The two day limit was due to battery power.

The removal of crew member and solar arrays were to accommodate ECS mods for space suits.