Soyuz TM-4 launched 1987

Soyuz TM-4 launch crew

Mission patch

Soyuz TM-4, launched December 21, 1987, was the fourth manned mission to the space station Mir.  Its crew at lift-off consisted of Commander Vladimir Titov, Musa Manarov and Anatoli Levenchenko.  Titov and Manarov were part of the expedition Mir EO-3 and stayed in space for a year returning to Earth.  Levchenko returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-3 a week later.

Soyuz TM-4 returned in June 1998 with crew of Mir EP-2:Commander Anatoly Solovyev, Viktor Savinykh and Aleksandr Aleksandrov.  They had arrived a week earlier on Soyuz TM-5.

Soyuz TM-3 launched 1987

Soyuz TM-3 crew (L-R): Muhammed Faris, Aleksandr Aleksandrov, Alexander Viktorentko  

Soyuz TM-3, launched July 22, 1987, was the third manned spacecraft to visit the space station Mir.  Its crew consisted of Commander Alexander Viktorenko, Flight Engineer Aleksandr Aleksandrov, and research cosmonaut Muhammed Faris, first Syrian astronaut.

Viktorenko and Faris stayed on board approximately a week (Mir EP-1) and returned on Soyuz TM-2, but Aleksandrov stayed aboard as part of Mir EO-2.

Soyuz TM-3 returned to Earth December 29 with Yuri Romanenko, Aleksandrov and Anatoli Levchenko. 

Anatoli Levchenko, Soyuz cosmonaut, born 1941

Anatoli Levchenko, born May 5, 1941, was a Russian cosmonaut who made one trip into space.  He had been selected and trained as backup commander for the first Buran space flight before the program was cancelled.

He flew to the space station Mir aboard Soyuz TM-4 in December 21, 1987 and returned a week later aboard Soyuz TM-3, December 29.

Levchenko passed away in August 1988 from brain tumor.