Progress 18

Progress 18

A Progress 7K-TG spacecraft
Mission type	Salyut 7 resupply
COSPAR ID	1983-106A
SATCAT no.	14422[1]
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Progress (No.118)
Spacecraft type	Progress 7K-TG[2]
Manufacturer	NPO Energia
Start of mission
Launch date	20 October 1983, 09:59:05 UTC[1]
Rocket	Soyuz-U[2]
Launch site	Baikonur, Site 31/6
End of mission
Disposal	Deorbited
Decay date	16 November 1983, 04:18 UTC[3]
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric
Regime	Low Earth
Perigee altitude	185 km[3]
Apogee altitude	242 km[3]
Inclination	51.6°[3]
Period	88.8 minutes[3]
Epoch	20 October 1983
Docking with Salyut 7
Docking port	Aft[3]
Docking date	22 October 1983, 11:34 UTC
Undocking date	13 November 1983, 03:08 UTC
Progress (spacecraft)

Progress 18 (Russian: Прогресс 18) was a Soviet uncrewed Progress cargo spacecraft, which was launched in October 1983 to resupply the Salyut 7 space station.

Spacecraft

Progress 18 was a Progress 7K-TG spacecraft. The 18th of forty three to be launched, it had the serial number 118.^[4][5] The Progress 7K-TG spacecraft was the first generation Progress, derived from the Soyuz 7K-T and intended for uncrewed logistics missions to space stations in support of the Salyut programme. On some missions the spacecraft were also used to adjust the orbit of the space station.^[6]

The Progress spacecraft had a dry mass of 6,520 kilograms (14,370 lb), which increased to around 7,020 kilograms (15,480 lb) when fully fuelled. It measured 7.48 metres (24.5 ft) in length, and 2.72 metres (8 ft 11 in) in diameter. Each spacecraft could accommodate up to 2,500 kilograms (5,500 lb) of payload, consisting of dry cargo and propellant. The spacecraft were powered by chemical batteries, and could operate in free flight for up to three days, remaining docked to the station for up to thirty.^[6]

Launch

Progress 18 launched on 20 October 1983 from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in the Kazakh SSR. It used a Soyuz-U rocket.^[2][7]

Docking

Progress 18 docked with the aft port of Salyut 7 on 22 October 1983 at 11:34 UTC, and was undocked on 13 November 1983 at 03:08 UTC.^[3][8]

Decay

It remained in orbit until 16 November 1983, when it was deorbited. The deorbit burn occurred at 04:18 UTC.^[3][8]

See also

• 1983 in spaceflight
• List of Progress missions
• List of uncrewed spaceflights to Salyut space stations

References

1. "Launchlog". Jonathan's Space Report. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
2. "Progress 1 - 42 (11F615A15, 7K-TG)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
3. "Cargo spacecraft "Progress 18"". Manned Astronautics figures and facts. Archived from the original on 18 October 2007.
4. Krebs, Gunter. "Progress 1 - 42 (11F615A15, 7K-TG)". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
5. McDowell, Jonathan. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 26 November 2010.
6. Hall, Rex D.; Shayler, David J. (2003). Soyuz: A Universal Spacecraft. Springer-Praxis. pp. 239–250. ISBN 1-85233-657-9.
7. "Progress 18". NASA. Retrieved 5 December 2020. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
8. "Salyut 7". Astronautix. Archived from the original on 11 December 2016. Retrieved 5 December 2020.