Soyuz T-11, launched April 3, 1984, carried the first Indian cosmonaut into space. The spacecraft docked with Salyut 7. Its crew consisted of Commander Yuri Malyshev, Gennady Strekalov, and Rakesh Sharma.
Soyuz T-11 remained docked with the space station until October. Its landing crew consisted of Commander Leonid Kizim, Vladimir Solovyov, and Oleg Atkov.
Soyuz T-15, launched March 13, 1986, was the first mission that visited and docked with two space stations during the same mission. Commander Leonid Kizim and Flight Engineer Vladimir Solovyov arrived at Mir, the first craft to visit the new space station on March 15. During their 55 day stay (Mir EO-1), they unloaded two Progress spacecraft (supplies and scientific equipment) since Mir was launched with little science equipment.
On May 5, Kizim and Solovyov boarded Soyuz T-15 and undocked from Mir. Salyut 7 was 4000 km ahead of Mir and in a lower orbit, so Mir was lowered 13 km to help expedite the journey. Twenty-nine hours later, Soyuz T-15 docked with Salyut 7.
The previous crew EO-4 had been assigned to conduct EVAs but since Vladimir Vasyutin became ill and had to return early to Earth, they had not been able to perform the EVAs. As EO-5, Kizim and Solovyov completed the EVAs
On June 25, they undocked from Salyut 7, the last expedition to the space station, and headed back to Mir, reaching it on June 26.
On July 3, Kizim passed Valeri Ryumin's record for time spent in space, becoming the first person to have spent a full year in space. They returned to Earth July 16. Soyuz T-15 was the last mission to use the Soyuz -T spacecraft since it was replaced by the Soyuz-TM.
Soyuz T-10, launched February 8, 1984, was the fifth mission to the Salyut 7 space station. Its crew consisted of Commander Leonid Kizim, Flight Engineer Vladimir Solovyov and Research Cosmonaut Oleg Atkov.
The crew entered a dark, empty space station with flashlights, noticing a "burnt-metal odor" inside. They reactivated the space station and conducted three EVAs to repair a fuel line.
Soyuz T-10 returned to Earth April 11, with Commander Yury Malyshev, Flight Engineer Gennady Strekalov and Research Cosmonaut Rakesh Sharma, India's first astronaut and his inaugural flight. The original crew stayed aboard Salyut 7 and returned to Earth on Soyuz T-11, October 2, 1984.
Vladimir Solovyov, born November 11, 1946 in Moscow, Russia, made two flights into space on Soyuz T-10 and Soyuz T-15.
The Soyuz T-10 mission was a critical flight because the Salyut 7 space station was dark and empty due to the loss of Soyuz T-10-1.
Soyuz T-15 was the last flight to Salyut 7, the first flight to Mir and the last Soyuz T spacecraft, since they were replaced by the Soyuz TM.
After his second flight, Solovyov became the Mir flight director. He retired in 1994 but then came back to head the Russian segment of the International Space Station.
