Soyuz T-9 launched 1983

Soyuz T-9 crew: Aleksandr Aleksandrov, Vladimir Lyakhov

Soyuz T-9, launched June 27, 1983, was the fourth expedition to the Salyut 7 space station.  Its crew consisted of Commander Vladimir Lyakhov and Aleksandr Aleksandrov.  The previous mission Soyuz T-8 and the next one, Soyuz T-10-1 both failed.

The crew returned to Earth in November.

Vladimir Lyakhov, cosmonaut, born 1941

Vladimir Lyakhov, born July 20, 1941 in the former Soviet Union, spent almost a year in space on three different missions.

His first  mission was as commander on Soyuz 32 to Salyut 6, launched February 25, 1979.  He returned to Earth June 13.

His second mission was as commander on Soyuz T-9 to Salyut 7, launched June 27, 1983.  He returned  to Earth November 23.

His third and final mission was commander of Soyuz TM-6 to the space station Mir, launched August 29,  1988.  He commanded Mir EP-3, a week long (short term) mission after which he returned to Earth on Soyuz TM-5. 

He passed away April 19, 2018.

Soyuz T-10-1 explodes on launch pad, but crew survived 1983

Soyuz T-10-1, a mission scheduled to visit Salyut 7, the space station occupied by the Soyuz T-9 crew, exploded on the launch pad, September 26, 1983.  Miraculously, cosmonauts Vladimir Titov and Gennady Strekalov survived via the launch escape system. 

While waiting for fueling of the booster to finish, a bad valve allowed pressurized nitrogen gas into a pump with no propellant.  The pump ruptured and started a fire which consumed the base of the launch vehicle.  The crew, realizing something was very wrong, could not initiate the escape system.  The launch control team could activate it but the control cables were already destroyed by the fire. 

The LES was activated by two launch personnel, but the procedure required them to press two buttons within 5 seconds of each other after receiving authorization.  It took 20 seconds to perform the operation and the booster and pad were in flames by that time.  The orbital module was separated from the lower part of the rocket by explosive bolts and then the escape system motor fired, breaking the crew free from the booster, which exploded just after. 

The cosmonauts landed badly bruised from the sudden acceleration but alive and well, four miles away.  They asked recovery crews for cigarettes to calm their nerves and were given shots of vodka to help them relax.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soyuz_7K-ST_No._16L