Progress 12

Progress 12

A Progress 7K-TG spacecraft
Mission type	Salyut 6 resupply
COSPAR ID	1981-007A
SATCAT no.	12152[1]
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Progress (No.113)
Spacecraft type	Progress 7K-TG[2]
Manufacturer	NPO Energia
Start of mission
Launch date	24 January 1981, 14:18:02 UTC[1]
Rocket	Soyuz-U[2]
Launch site	Baikonur, Site 1/5
End of mission
Disposal	Deorbited
Decay date	20 March 1981, 16:59 UTC[3]
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee altitude	247 km[3]
Apogee altitude	308 km[3]
Inclination	51.7°[3]
Period	90.0 minutes[3]
Epoch	24 January 1981
Docking with Salyut 6
Docking port	Aft[3]
Docking date	26 January 1981, 15:56 UTC
Undocking date	19 March 1981, 18:14 UTC
Progress (spacecraft)

Progress 12 (Russian: Прогресс 12) was a Soviet unmanned Progress cargo spacecraft, which was launched in January 1981 to resupply the Salyut 6 space station.

Spacecraft

Progress 12 was a Progress 7K-TG spacecraft. The twelfth of forty three to be launched, it had the serial number 113.[4][5] The Progress 7K-TG spacecraft was the first generation Progress, derived from the Soyuz 7K-T and intended for uncrewed logistics missions to space stations in support of the Salyut programme. On some missions the spacecraft was also used to adjust the orbit of the space station.[6]

The Progress spacecraft had a dry mass of 6,520 kilograms (14,370 lb), which increased to around 7,020 kilograms (15,480 lb) when fully fuelled. It measured 7.48 metres (24.5 ft) in length, and 2.72 metres (8 ft 11 in) in diameter. Each spacecraft could accommodate up to 2,500 kilograms (5,500 lb) of payload, consisting of dry cargo and propellant. The spacecraft was powered by chemical batteries, and could operate in free flight for up to three days, remaining docked to the station for up to thirty.[6]

Launch

Progress 12 launched on 24 January 1981 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Kazakh SSR. It used a Soyuz-U rocket.[2][7]

Docking

Progress 12 docked with the aft port of Salyut 6 on 26 January 1981 at 15:56 UTC, and was undocked on 19 March 1981 at 18:14 UTC.[3][8]

Decay

It remained in orbit until 20 March 1981, when it was deorbited. The deorbit burn occurred at 16:59 UTC.[3][8]

See also

• 1981 in spaceflight
• List of Progress missions
• List of uncrewed spaceflights to Salyut space stations

References

1. "Launchlog". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
2. "Progress 1 - 42 (11F615A15, 7K-TG)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
3. "Cargo spacecraft "Progress 12"". Manned Astronautics figures and facts. Archived from the original on 10 September 2007.
4. Krebs, Gunter. "Progress 1 - 42 (11F615A15, 7K-TG)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
5. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
6. Hall, Rex D.; Shayler, David J. (2003). Soyuz: A Universal Spacecraft. Springer-Praxis. pp. 239–250. ISBN 1-85233-657-9.
7. "Progress 12". NASA. Retrieved 5 December 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
8. "Salyut 6". Astronautix. Archived from the original on 10 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2020.