Logistics (Almaz return capsule). The capsule came in two parts: a re-entry protection shell, and an internal payload.

At capsule ejection the Almaz pointed down at an 8:00 angle from the horizontal. The capsule was ejected at a 5:00 angle. After separation it spun up, fired the retro, and then spun down, all at the 5:00 angle. It then separated the retro assembly. Following reentry, it deployed a small drogue chute, followed by a main chute. The reentry shell was separated before the main chute, and only the internal payload landed separately.

The outer heat shield was as follows:

       Lift eye-bolts (4)        ------------------
                /           /\      Gone         |
            O               --    /              |
             \             |  |                  | 1
                          /|  |\                 | 3
           ---     --------------------    ----  | 5
         C  |      --------------------      |   | 0
         a  |       \                /       |   |
         p  |       |               |      8 |   |
         s  |       |               |      3 |   |
         u  |       |               |      8 |   |
         l  |       |               |        |   |
         e  |        \             /         |   |
           ---         -----------       -----------
                           780
                    |---------------|   Payload volume ....  90 cu cm
                           850
                   |-----------------|  Payload mass ......  120 kg

                                        ____ beacon
                                      /
                         ________   o
                    |o| /      |o|\||
                    |o|--------|o|--
                    |o|        |o|  |  ---- cloth covered
                   ===================
                    |               |
                    |               |  ---- cloth covered
                     \             /
                       ------------

The return capsule from Salyut 5 was sold at a Sotheby's auction in the early 1990's. The shell shad a dent in the bottom: not very big, surprisingly. Internally, there was the label with the serial number 11F76-0505. This Earth Return Capsule was launched into space with the Salyut 5 space station on 22 June 1976 and returned to earth on 26 February 1977. The estimated price was $80,000-$100,000. The actual price as sold was $48,875. The engineers at the auction indicated that the plan was to eventually have six of these return capsules on board each Almaz.

The Earth Return Capsule serial number 11F76-0505 was successfully recovered. During the 1990's it was auctoned off at Sotheby's for $48,875.

• 102 - Voevodin, Sergey A, VSA072 - Space Apparatus, "Sergey A. Voevodin's Reports", . HTML when accessed: http://www.mcs.net/~rusaerog/sergeyv/VSA.html
• 211 - Wood, D, Almaz Return Capsule, Internet posting, 23 May, 1996..