Soyuz 14

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**Soyuz 14**
Mission statistics
Mission name:	Soyuz 14
Call sign:	Беркут (Berkut - "Golden Eagle")
Number of crew members:	2
Launch:	July 3, 1974 18:51:08 UTC Baikonur
Landing:	July 19, 1974 12:21:36 UTC 140km SE of Dzkezkazgan
Duration:	15 days, 17 h, 30 min, 28 s
Number of Orbits:	255

[edit] Crew

Yuri Artyukhin (1)
Pavel Popovich (2)

[edit] Mission parameters

Mass: 6,800 kg
Perigee: 195 km
Apogee: 217 km
Inclination: 51.6°
Period: 88.6 min

[edit] Mission highlights

Soyuz 14 carried cosmonauts Yuri Artyukhin and Pavel Popovich to the Salyut 3 space station. The mission was part of the Soviet Union's Almaz programme to evaluate military applications of human spaceflight. At the time, however, the military nature of this mission and the station itself were not acknowledged by Soviet authorities.

The crew tested the suitability of Salyut 3 as a manned military reconnaissance satellite. They also tested Almaz station systems, such as the solar arrays. The cosmonauts exercised for 2 hours each day to counter the effects of weightlessness. Because of this, they were able to climb from their Soyuz Ferry descent module without assistance at the end of their flight.

During their two-week stay on the station, the cosmonauts undertook military reconnaissance tasks and various biomedical experiments. All mission objectives were reportedly met.