Kosmos 638

Kosmos 638
	Soyuz 7K-TM
Mission type	Orbital test flight
Operator	Soviet space program
COSPAR ID	1974-018A
SATCAT no.	7234
Mission duration	9 days, 21 hours and 35 minutes
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Soyuz 7K-TM s/n 71
Manufacturer	NPO Energia
Launch mass	6,570 kg (14,480 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date	3 April 1974, 07:30 GMT
Rocket	Soyuz-U
Launch site	Baikonur 31/6
End of mission
Disposal	Deorbited
Landing date	13 April 1974, 05:05 GMT
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Perigee altitude	187 km (116 mi)
Apogee altitude	309 km (192 mi)
Inclination	51.8°
Period	89.4 min
	Soyuz programme Kosmos (satellites)

Kosmos 638 (Russian: Космос 638) was an uncrewed test of the 1975 Apollo–Soyuz Test Project Soyuz. It carried an APAS-75 androgynous docking system.

This was followed by another uncrewed test of this spacecraft type, Kosmos 672.^[2] It was a Soyuz 7K-TM spacecraft.^[2]

When the air was released from the orbital module (which is ejected before re-entry of the capsule) it caused unexpected motions with the spacecraft.^[2] This led to the next test also being uncrewed.^[2]

Mission parameters

Spacecraft: Soyuz-7K-TM №71
Mass: 6510 to 6680 kg
Crew: None
Launched: April 3, 1974
Landed: April 13, 1974

References

^ ^a ^b David S. F. Portree (1995). Mir Hardware Heritage (PDF). NASA. NASA-SP-4225. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Rex Hall; David Shayler (2003). Soyuz: A Universal Spacecraft. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 211. ISBN 978-1-85233-657-8.

[Portree_1995-1] David S. F. Portree (1995). Mir Hardware Heritage (PDF). NASA. NASA-SP-4225. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 March 2023.

[Hall_2003-2] Rex Hall; David Shayler (2003). Soyuz: A Universal Spacecraft. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 211. ISBN 978-1-85233-657-8.

[1]

[2]

Mission parameters

See also

References