In the Soviet movie “Return from orbit” is a curious episode. In a train compartment — two men. Radio report on the launch of the spacecraft. — Well, again! — exclaims the first man. — Think of it, flew for a week and already heroes! Came back, and all of them, and awards, and photographs in the Newspapers! And if it doesn’t come back? — quietly asks the second…
JEWELRY WORK!
“Soyuz 4 commander Vladimir Shatalov (call sign — “Amur”) was launched on the morning of 14 January 1969. Through the day the company he was “Soyuz-5” with commander Boris Volynov, flight engineer Alexei Yeliseyev and research engineer Jevgenijs Gromovym (call sign — “Baikal”).Four in space at the same time! But not for the record climbed to orbit astronauts. They are the first in the world was supposed to dock two manned object. Thanks to experts from the Earth ships went to the desired orbit. When “Unions” was a quarter of a mile, switched to manual control. Now everything depended on the astronauts. “Unions” has docked at nearly zero relative speed.
“POSTOLATY”
A docking station with an internal transition at that time did not exist. So to travel from ship to ship was necessary through open space. “Coming out” were two: Yeliseyev and Khrunov. Volynov helped the comrades wear spacesuits, checked whether tightly customized helmets, and moved to another compartment and batten down the hatch.Without incident, however, has not been. First, the move was much harder than in training, and postolaty” (the word K. E. Tsiolkovsky) behind schedule. Although “go” had a little more than ten meters. Holding on to the handrails, two astronauts moved to the “Soyuz-4”, where they waited for Vladimir Shatalov.Closing the hatch behind him, Alexey Eliseev missed from the hands of the camera, and it rotated, sailed in the vast expanse of the Universe. Well, that “coming out” was fixed another stationary camera ships, or documentary evidence of an exit would be enough.Khrunov and Yeliseyev brought Shatalov Newspapers with pictures and reports about its launch. After four and a half hours the ships unlocked.On the morning of 17 January, Soyuz-4″ went to the landing and landed in Kazakhstan, 40 km North-West of Karaganda.And on 18 January it was the turn of the Soyuz-5″, where Boris Volynov.Boosters worked the necessary time for braking. Dropping the speed, the ship rushed to the Ground. This is where it all started…
OUR BEAUTIFUL “UNION”
The layout of the ship “Union” was simple, as all ingenious. Sphere orbital module (BO) at a docking station, in mid — descent vehicle (DV) in the form of car lights, and then the cylinder of the instrument-propulsion compartment (PAO) with solar panels, source of energy for the entire ship. BO and CA are inhabited, PAO — no. Reaching the upper limits of the atmosphere, the spacecraft is divided into bays, and landing only CA. Everything else burns.If the ship was completely covered with thermal protection, a booster would not be able to lift it into space due to the large mass. The designers lightened the weight of the plating. And even SA protective coating applied unevenly. The device is designed on the principle of “roly-poly”: flying broad end first, at a slight angle. Due to this angular slide creates a small lifting force that reduces an overload for the astronaut. On the bottom — maximum thickness of the ablative coating. It further reduced, and on the hatch — very minor.And now, “Soyuz-5” is not separated compartment of a disaster! Space object raced down the unprotected edge of the hatch. But on the Ground it was impossible openly to report an accident.- I — “Baikal”! The object is rotated, moved to the ballistic descent — gave Boris Volynov. In the left window you can see the antenna on solar panels.
EMERGENCY SITUATION
Volynov knew that to survive in such a situation it is not meant to be. Even after braking, the vehicle speed is huge. He bursts in near-earth space and the closer the moment of landing is enhanced by bombardment of its surface by the air molecules. For Windows first flashed sparks of fire arising from the friction, then the orange stripe and then the hull of the ship began to crackle in flames.Communication with Earth is gone: when entering the dense layers of the atmosphere, the antenna was burned in a plasma cloud. This is after, when there will be a few kilometers and will develop a parachute that will unfold “slot” antenna. Only now if it comes to the parachute?
PREPARE FOR THE INEVITABLE!
There was no panic. The astronaut thought for what can be done. He looked around the “living space”: the volume in the passenger compartment of a vehicle. On the sides there are vacant seats, that are returned to Earth. A couple of Windows Yes remote control with indicators and switches. But the Forced ejection of PAO” on the remote control was missing. Absent the astronaut and the spacesuit, because the three in this “clothing” it would not fit in the “Union” sample 1969.Well, well. So will have to suffer less… No, he is not thinking about death. I just felt like pressed time. To live remained, apparently, no more than five minutes. It conducted a report, telling what he sees and feels, hoping that the onboard autoregistrator (similar to the “black box” on airplanes) will keep his voice, and experts on the Ground will understand why this happened. To never, nowhere and with no one…
FIRE — HELP
Then it became impossible to speak -overload push in a chair, and retaining straps painfully dug into the body. Volynov remained silent. Then labour took the log, threw up the leaves, where there was a record of the dock, carefully folded and tucked them deep into the log, closer to the binding. Bound journal with a bandage, not to be disclosed page. Put the documentation for themselves. Boris knew that even with severe fire burn some books a little at the edges, but what’s inside is unharmed.Became very hot. The cabin was filled with acrid stench. He realized — it smokes the sealing rubber on the hatch. So now soon. Breathing became harder… And suddenly — a strong jerk upwards. Separated compartment! The fire that greedily licking machine got to the squibs, and they worked! The descent compartment was immediately flipped over 180 degrees and are in the correct position.Sweat was pouring in streams: cold, warm…
“CAROUSEL”
Saved? Oh I see! Okay — plating, and survive if the hatch won’t open? And the parachute will open? Anyway will soon find out.Again, leap up, but weaker exhaust small parachute went and pulled the main. F-at, you can breath.Fate continued to experience Volynov. The lander is significantly rotated along the longitudinal axis. But scared was not even that. Together with the compartment rotated parachute: astronaut heard was grinding metal strand. Forward-backward, left-right… And following them obediently moved the parachute, peripetias and folding the cloth, then again unrolling it. Rotated as the carousel. Will decrease if the speed to normal?
“MY HEAD IS GRAY?”
From monstrous blow about the earth the lander bounced. Well that Kazakh steppe covered deep soft snow. Volynov felt broken teeth. But I had to get out.He opened the hatch and into the compartment poured scalding frosty air of the Earth, instantly vastutuse a tiny room. Breathing has become easy. The astronaut was instantly chilled to the bone.The rescuers was not, it was waiting. In this descent the device is deviated in the direction for tens of kilometers. That means we need to wait and, in the first place — to keep warm. How? Around not a tree or Bush, nothing but wilderness, snow, sky… and a parachute. Falling in the snow, Boris came to the white-orange cloth, lay down on it and began to wrap in fabric. Layer by layer, deeper and deeper, warmer and warmer.Soon over the landing site circled the aircraft “Il-14”. Troops carried it to the side, and the soldiers reached the landing apparatus on foot. — My head is gray? — the first thing he asked the astronaut. — No — replied… … TASS did not say a word about what had to endure cosmonaut Boris Volynova.
