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| Photo: The Soyuz 11 crew, featuring Georgi Dobrovolski (left), Vladislav Volkov (right), and Viktor Patsayev (in the background). |
Soyuz 11 was the sole crewed mission to board the world’s first space station, Salyut 1 (while Soyuz 10 had soft-docked, it was unable to enter due to latching issues). The crew, consisting of Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov, and Viktor Patsayev, arrived at the space station on June 7, 1971, and departed on June 29, 1971. Tragically, the mission ended in disaster when the crew capsule depressurized during re-entry preparations, resulting in the deaths of all three crew members. The crew of Soyuz 11 remains the only humans to have died in space.
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| A cover featuring a Soyuz 11 stamp, produced by KNIGA, and postmarked on October 20, 1971. |
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| Launch of Soyuz 11 on June 6, 1971. |
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| Soyuz 11 docked with Salyut 1 on June 7, 1971. |
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| The return of Soyuz 11 took place on June 29, 1971. |
(Reference from
Soyuz 11)
