posted 01-18-2005 12:20 PM               

quote:

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While updating my flight history spreadsheets I stumbled onto something I hadn't noticed earlier: the Soyuz TMA-5 launched to ISS last October was the 100th manned Soviet/Russian space flight, depending on how you measure.

Soyuz 32 launched with a crew but entered unmanned; vice-versa for Soyuz 34. Some people don't count one or the other, but I count both.

The count:
Vostok: 6 (1-6)
Voskhod: 2 (1-2)
Soyuz: 39 (1,3-17,18.1,18-19,21-40)
Soyuz T: 15 (2-9,10.1,10-15)
Soyuz TM: 33 (2-34)
Soyuz TMA: 5 (1-5)
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Total: 100

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posted 10-01-2005 04:08 PM               

This does include Soyuz 18a, which failed to achieve orbit on an upper stage malfunction. But it does not include Soyuz T-10a, which exploded on the launch pad in the final seconds of the countdown forcing activation of the Launch Escape System.

Soyuz 34 was unmanned and sent as a replacement and return capsule for a crew already living in space. It does not count as a separate mission (the error he had).

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-Ben

posted 10-02-2005 10:36 PM               

Yesterday's launch of TMA-7 was the 250th time in history that human beings have soared above 100km.