Kosmos 638

Kosmos 638
Soyuz 7K-TM
Mission typeOrbital test flight
OperatorSoviet space program
COSPAR ID1974-018A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.7234
Mission duration9 days, 21 hours and 35 minutes
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftSoyuz 7K-TM s/n 71
ManufacturerNPO Energia
Launch mass6,570 kg (14,480 lb)
Start of mission
Launch date3 April 1974, 07:30 (1974-04-03UTC07:30Z) GMT[1]
RocketSoyuz-U
Launch siteBaikonur 31/6
End of mission
DisposalDeorbited
Landing date13 April 1974, 05:05 (1974-04-13UTC05:06Z) GMT[1]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
Perigee altitude187 km (116 mi)
Apogee altitude309 km (192 mi)
Inclination51.8°
Period89.4 min

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]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Portree_1995 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Hall_2003 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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