View source for Soyuz 24

{{short description|Crewed flight of the Soyuz programme}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox spaceflight
| name               = Soyuz 24
| image              = USSR stamp Soyuz-24 1977 10k.jpg
| image_caption      = Commemorative stamp of 1977 of<br/>Viktor Gorbatko and Yuri Glazkov
| image_size         = 290px

| mission_type       = 
| operator           = [[Soviet space program]]
| COSPAR_ID          = 1977-008A
| SATCAT             = 09804
| mission_duration   = 17 days 17 hours 26 minutes
| orbits_completed   = 285

| spacecraft         = Soyuz 7K-T No.11
| spacecraft_type    = [[Soyuz 7K-T/A9]]
| manufacturer       = [[Energia (corporation)|NPO Energia]]
| launch_mass        = 6750 kg <ref name="Display"/>
| landing_mass       = 1200 kg

| launch_date        = 7 February 1977, 16:11 [[Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]
| launch_rocket      = [[Soyuz-U]]
| launch_site        = [[Baikonur Cosmodrome|Baikonur]], [[Baikonur Cosmodrome Site 1|Site 1/5]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.astronautix.com/sites/baiurlc1.htm|title=Baikonur LC1|access-date=3 April 2009 |publisher=Encyclopedia Astronautica|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415160730/http://www.astronautix.com/sites/baiurlc1.htm|archive-date=15 April 2009}}</ref>

| landing_date       = 25 February 1977, 09:38 UTC
| landing_site       = 37 km at the northeast of [[Arkalyk]], [[Kazakhstan]]

| crew_size          = 2
| crew_members       = [[Viktor Gorbatko]]<br/>[[Yuri Glazkov]]
| crew_callsign      = {{lang|ru|Терек}} ({{lang|ru-Latn|Terek}})<br/>[[Terek River]]

| crew_photo         = 
| crew_photo_caption = 
| crew_photo_size    =

| orbit_reference    = [[Geocentric orbit]]<ref name="Trajectory"/>
| orbit_regime       = [[Low Earth orbit]]
| orbit_periapsis    = 184.7 km
| orbit_apoapsis     = 346.2 km
| orbit_inclination  = 51.65°
| orbit_period       = 89.52 minutes
| apsis              = gee

| docking = 
 {{Infobox spaceflight/Dock
   | docking_target  = [[Salyut 5]]
   | docking_type    = dock
   | docking_date    = 8 February 1977

   | undocking_date  = 25 February 1977
   | time_docked     = 17 days
 }}

| insignia           = Vimpel 'Diamond'.jpg
| insignia_caption   = Vimpel Diamond patch
| insignia_size      = 175px

| programme          = '''[[Soyuz programme]]'''
| previous_mission   = [[Kosmos 869]]
| next_mission       = [[Soyuz 25]]
}}

'''Soyuz 24''' ({{langx|ru|Союз 24}}, ''Union 24'') was a February, 1977, [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] mission to the [[Salyut 5]] [[space station]], the third and final mission to the station, the last purely military crew for the Soviets and the final mission to a [[Almaz|military Salyut]].<ref>The mission report is available here: http://www.spacefacts.de/mission/english/soyuz-24.htm</ref> The [[cosmonauts]] [[Viktor Gorbatko]] and [[Yuri Glazkov]] re-activated the station after toxic fumes had apparently terminated the mission of [[Soyuz 21]], the previous crew.

They performed biological and materials experiments while on board. Other presumed activities included [[Imagery intelligence|photographic reconnaissance]], and finishing tasks the previous crew was forced to abandon when their mission abruptly ended. The Soyuz 24 crew landed after spending 18 days in space, and the Salyut station was de-orbited six months later.

== Crew ==
{{Spaceflight crew
|terminology = Cosmonaut

|position1   = Commander
|crew1_up    = [[Viktor Gorbatko]]
|flights1_up = Second

|position2   = Flight engineer
|crew2_up    = [[Yuri Glazkov]]
|flights2_up = Only
}}

=== Backup crew ===
{{Spaceflight crew
|terminology = Cosmonaut

|position1   = Commander
|crew1_up    = [[Anatoly Berezovoy]]

|position2   = Flight engineer
|crew2_up    = [[Mikhail Lisun]]
}}

=== Reserve crew ===
{{Spaceflight crew
|terminology = Cosmonaut

|position1   = Commander
|crew1_up    = [[Vladimir Kozelsky]]

|position2   = Flight engineer
|crew2_up    = [[Vladimir Preobrazhensky]]
}}

== Mission highlights ==
The cosmonauts Gorbatko and Glazkov were the back-up crew for [[Soyuz 23]], which failed to dock with [[Salyut 5]] several months earlier.<ref name=newkirk>{{cite book|last=Newkirk|first=Dennis|title=Almanac of Soviet Manned Space Flight|year=1990|isbn=0-87201-848-2|publisher=Gulf Publishing Company|location=Houston, Texas}}</ref> Soyuz 24 was launched 7 February 1977, and successfully docked with the orbiting space station the next day. However, the crew did not immediately enter the station, atypically having a sleep period first and delaying their entry by some 11 hours.<ref name=newkirk/> Observers speculate that problems with fumes which may have caused the Soyuz 21 crew to leave were resolved or dealt with by the new crew.<ref name=newkirk/> They entered the station wearing breathing apparatus and made numerous tests of the atmosphere before apparently concluding conditions were safe and removing their breathing devices.<ref name=clark>{{cite book|last=Clark|first=Phillip|title=The Soviet Manned Space Program |url=https://archive.org/details/sovietmannedspac0000clar|url-access=registration|year=1988|isbn=0-517-56954-X|publisher=Orion Books, a division of Crown Publishers, Inc.|location=New York}}</ref>

Observers speculate that the flight had a specific objective and was not meant to be a long-duration mission. In any case, fuel for the station to maneuver was too depleted to attempt a long mission.<ref name=newkirk/> The crew continued the research started by the Soyuz 21 crew,<ref name=clark/> performed Earth resources work, biological and materials experiments. But, being a part of the [[Almaz]] military Salyut program, other unrevealed projects were likely carried out. The flight would prove to be not only the final flight to a military Salyut station, but also the final all-military crew to be launched by the Soviets.<ref name="clark"/> On 21 February 1977, the crew performed an air-changing experiment, shown on TV, slowly venting air from one end of the station to the other while releasing 100&nbsp;kg of air from tanks in the docked Soyuz orbital module. This was a test of the future air replenishment techniques to be carried out with [[Progress (spacecraft)|Progress]] transports in subsequent space stations.<ref name=newkirk/>

They began to activate the Soyuz 24 on 23 February 1977, then deactivate the space station, and undocked and landed near [[Arkalyk]] on 25 February 1977. The Soyuz landed in a blowing snowstorm and recovery crews could not locate the space capsule. As it turned out, the [[search and rescue beacon]] was unable to deploy due to being jammed shut from snow, so Gorbatko had to free it by hand.<ref name=newkirk/>

On 26 February 1977, Salyut 5 ejected a research module. The research module, which was recovered on Soviet territory, containing exposed film and experiments carried out by the two crews who crewed the space station.<ref name=newkirk/><ref name=clark/> The [[Salyut 5]] space station was deorbited on 8 August 1977.

== Mission parameters ==
* '''Mass:''' {{cvt|6750|kg}} <ref name="Display">{{cite web|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=1977-008A|title=Display: Soyuz 24 1977-008A|publisher=NASA|date=14 May 2020|access-date=17 October 2020}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>
* '''Perigee:''' {{cvt|218.0|km}} <ref name="Trajectory">{{cite web|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/displayTrajectory.action?id=1977-008A|title=Trajectory: Soyuz 24 1977-008A|publisher=NASA |date=14 May 2020|access-date=17 October 2020}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>
* '''Apogee:''' {{cvt|281.0|km}}
* '''Inclination:''' 51.60°
* '''Period:''' 89.20 minutes

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{Portal|Spaceflight|Soviet Union}}
{{Soyuz}}
{{Orbital launches in 1977}}

[[Category:Crewed Soyuz missions]]
[[Category:1977 in the Soviet Union]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched in 1977]]
[[Category:Spacecraft launched by Soyuz-U rockets]]
[[Category:Spacecraft which reentered in 1977]]