Almaz
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The Almaz (Russian: Алмаз - "Diamond") program was a series of military space stations launched by the Soviet Union under cover of the Salyut program. Three Almaz stations were launched: Salyut 2, Salyut 3 and Salyut 5. Salyut 2 failed shortly after achieving orbit, but Salyut 3 and 5 both conducted successful manned testing. Following Salyut 5 the Soviet Military judged that the time consumed by station maintenance outweighed the benefits.
Almaz was promoted by Vladimir Chelomei as a response to the USAF's Manned Orbiting Laboratory project. In its original configuration Almaz and MOL were very similar, with the station being launched on a Proton rocket with a two man crew who would return to earth in a descent capsule after a month of military observation. Following the delays to the Soyuz project, Almaz also assumed the role of intercepting military satellites. Once launched Almaz would be resupplied by the TKS spacecraft that also used Chelomei's Proton booster.
In addition to reconnaissance equipment, the Almaz had an on-board cannon derived from the 23mm Nudelmann aircraft cannon (other sources say it was a Nudelmann NR-30 30mm gun). Salyut 3 conducted a successful test firing on a target satellite. OPS-4, one of the last Almaz space stations built before the Almaz program was cancelled featured 2 unguided missiles instead of the aircraft cannon of previous stations. The OPS-4 was never flown.
Following the cancellation of the manned Almaz program, leftover Almaz spaceframes flew, a decade later, as unmanned radar satellites. The TKS spacecraft formed the basis of modules attached to the Mir space station and components of the International Space Station.
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| Active: Soyuz | ISS (joint) | ||
| In Development: Kliper | ||
| Past: Vostok | Voskhod | Salyut | Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (joint) | Mir | ||
| Cancelled: Zond (lunar Soyuz) | N1 rocket | Spiral | Almaz (incorporated into Salyut program) | Energia / Buran |
| Salyut Program |  |
|---|---|
| Salyut 1 | Salyut 4 | Salyut 6 | Salyut 7 | |
| Almaz Program | |
| Salyut 2 | Salyut 3 | Salyut 5 | |
