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The first landing of Apollo astronauts on the lunar surface in July 1969, marked a watershed for both US and Soviet space programs. In the US, with Soviets "beaten" in the race to the Moon, the Apollo program suddenly became a "dead end colossus" in the eyes of appropriation committees. After six successful lunar expeditions, the Apollo program was terminated in 1972.

Back in the USSR, political inertia continued dragging forward the ill-fated lunar program, however, leaders of the space industry as well as their patrons in the Kremlin had already started looking elsewhere for future goals.

Within TsKBEM, the primary developer of the Soviet manned spacecraft, a group of top engineers "conspired" to initiate a project of the space station, which could be accomplished quickly and economically. The new program would employ the hardware, which had already been developed by a rival design organization led by Vladimir Chelomei. Since mid-1960s, Chelomei's collective worked on a military orbital complex designated Almaz ("Diamond"). However, technical problems and political intrigue stalled the project.

By December 1969, Dimity Ustinov, aka Uncle Mitya, a powerful Kremlin bureaucrat supervising the rocket industry, signed off on the project. The head of TsKBEM Vasiliy Mishin, despite his opposition to the idea, had no choice but squeeze another assignment in the already ambitious list of projects led by his organization.

In parallel, Vladimir Chelomei continued the development of the Almaz, which would be used exclusively for military goals.

In record short time, TsKBM group led by Yuri Semenov developed the space station designated DOS-7K. The station used the body from the Almaz project and modified systems from the Soyuz spacecraft. The crews would visit the station onboard a new version of the Soyuz spacecraft designated 7K-T.

On Feb. 9, 1970, the Soviet government officially endorsed the program, under code DOS-7K. As promised, at the beginning of 1971, DOS-1, the world's first space station was ready for launch.

Russian space station launches:

Soviet launches related to space station projects and solo Soyuz flights in 1971-1985:

PICTURE GALLERY

Soviet officials inspect a full-scale mockup of the DOS-7K (Salyut) space station, circa 1970. Credit: Khrunichev

The first-generation Salyut during the assembly. Credit: RKK Energia

The Salyut-1 space station in orbit. Credit: RKK Energia

After the loss of the first crew of the Salyut space station during landing, the pressure suits (right) were introduced for launch, landing and docking operations. Standard Pinguin suits (left) were worn during the work inside the station. Copyright © 2001 Anatoly Zak

The first generation Salyut. Credit: Anatoly Zak

Scale model of the second-generation Salyut space station, which included independently guided solar arrays. Copyright © 2001 Anatoly Zak

Cutaway view of a working compartment of the second generation Salyut space station. Copyright © 2001 Anatoly Zak

The US Apollo and the Soviet Soyuz spacecraft docked for eternity in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Copyright © 2002 Anatoly Zak

A 3rd generation Salyut space station, differs from its predecessors by a second docking port and a capability to be refueled in orbit from the Progress cargo ships. Copyright © 2001 Anatoly Zak

A scale model of the 3rd generation Salyut space station docked with two transport spacecraft -- the Progress cargo ship and the Soyuz manned spacecraft. Apparently, no photos of such configuration exist. Copyright © 2001 Anatoly Zak

The Orlan spacesuit, which had been used onboard the Mir space station. Copyright © 2001 Anatoly Zak

To negate influence of weightlessness after long-duration flights, the Salyut crewmembers were wearing Chibis suits at the end of their missions. The Chibis suits create low-pressure in the lower parts of the body, driving more blood toward legs as caused by gravity on Earth. Copyright © 2001 Anatoly Zak