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The Salyut 4 space station, designated DOS-4, marked the second phase of the Soviet Union’s civilian space station program. It was an improved version of the failed Salyut 2 station, with several notable enhancements.
Salyut Stations
Salyut 4
Salyut 4
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Initially, the rendezvous with Salyut 3 proceeded smoothly. However, as the Soyuz spacecraft approached the station, a critical problem arose. The Igla rendezvous system, designed to guide the spacecraft to the station, malfunctioned.
Salyut 3 cutaway
Gennady Sarafanov
Lev Dyomin
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Salyut 3 featured a “self-defense” gun purportedly designed by Alexander Nudelman for station use. Some reports suggest it was outfitted with a Nudelman-Rikhter “Vulkan” gun, a modified version of the 23mm Nudelman aircraft cannon, or conceivably a Nudelman NR-30 30mm gun. Subsequent Russian accounts propose the gun was the relatively obscure Rikhter R-23, not widely recognized in Western sources. Allegedly, Pavel Popovich has corroborated these assertions.
Almaz Military Salyut Station Configuration
Pavel Popovich
Yuri Artyukhin
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At this point in 1973, the Soviets were attempting to fly 2 types of space station, the long duration orbital station scientific version called DOS. The other station was a military spy space station equipped with a machine gun, called Almaz or OPS which stood for orbital piloted station.
Salyut-2, OPS-1, Almaz
Mars 4 or 5
Mars 6 or 7
