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		Salyut 7 • Soyuz-T 11	July 29-August 16, 1984
		Sixth EVA—propellant system repair completed. Soyuz-T 12 delivered a pneumatic hand press. The tool was used during an August 8 EVA to crush both ends of the bypassed fuel line, sealing it. Solovyov and Kizim also collected a piece of a solar array for analysis. In spite of the repair, Salyut 7’s main propulsion system was not used again to boost the station’s orbit.

Progress 23 • Salyut 7 • Soyuz-T 11

August 16-26, 1984

Salyut 7 • Soyuz-T 11

August 26-October 2, 1984

		Salyut 7	October 2, 1984-June 8, 1985
		Salyut 7 comatose. In February the Salyut 7 space station abruptly ceased communicating with the TsUP. On March 2 the Soviet newspaper Pravda printed the following announcement: In view of the fact that the planned program of work on Salyut 7 has been fulfilled completely, at the present time the station has been deactivated and is continuing its flight in automatic mode.[1]

2.8.3.4 Salyut 7 Principal Expedition 4

Vladimir Dzhanibekov, Viktor Savinykh
Crew code name—Pamir
Soyuz-T 13, June 6-September 26, 1985
112 days in space

Savinykh remained aboard Salyut 7 when Dzhanibekov departed in Soyuz-T 13.

		Salyut 7 • Soyuz-T 13	June 8-23, 1985
		Salyut 7 revived. The March 2 announcement notwithstanding, by the end of March the Soviets resolved to attempt a Salyut 7 rescue. The effort turned out to be one of the most impressive feats of in-space repairs in history. As the Pamirs approached the inert station, they saw that its solar arrays were pointing randomly as it rolled slowly about its long axis. They used a handheld laser range finder to judge their distance, and conducted a fly-around inspection to be certain the exterior was intact. Dzhanibekov noted that the thermal blankets on the transfer compartment had turned a dull gray from prolonged exposure to sunlight. Upon achieving hard dock—the first time a Soyuz docked with an inactive station—the crew confirmed through the electrical connectors in the docking collars that the Salyut 7 electrical system was dead. They carefully sampled the air in the station before opening the hatch. The station air was

1. Pravda, March 2, 1985, p. 2. Translated in Nicholas Johnson, The Soviet Year in Space: 1985, Teledyne Brown Engineering, 1986, p. 54.