''Return from Orbit'' () is a Soviet 1984

science fiction film Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses Speculative fiction, speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as Extraterrestrial life in fiction, extraterrestria ...

directed by Aleksandr Surin. It featured scenes filmed in orbit onboard

Salyut 7 Salyut 7 (), also known as DOS-6 (Durable Orbital Station 6) was a space station in low Earth orbit from April 1982 to February 1991. It was first crewed in May 1982 with two crew via Soyuz T-5, and last visited in June 1986, by Soyuz T-15. Va ...

space station and

Soyuz T-9 Soyuz T-9 (Russian: Союз Т-9, Union T-9) was the 4th expedition to Salyut 7 following the failed docking of Soyuz T-8. It returned lab experiments to Earth. The next mission, Soyuz 7K-ST No.16L (Soyuz 10a), had exploded and thus failed t ...

spacecraft. The film depicts an accident on an orbital station where a meteor storm results in a life-threatening injury for the mission commander which requires an emergency return to Earth. An experienced team is sent to evacuate the crew and repair the station, but faces another serious incident which puts their own lives in grave danger.

Plot

Cosmonauts Pavel Kuznetsov and Vyacheslav Mukhin are longtime friends who came to make an outstanding team. On their first space mission, the rocket spectacularly fails, but their spacecraft is ejected to safety by the launch escape system. They are shaken by the experience, but determined to make another attempt. As new launch is scheduled shortly, Kuznetsov learns of a sudden death of his estranged wife. Devastated, he submits his resignation and leaves Baikonur to look after his young daughter. Mukhin catches up with his night train and tries to make Pavel reconsider, without success. Exiting on a desert station, Mukhin calls his girlfriend Sasha and unexpectedly proposes to her. Next morning, Mukhin successfully launches into space in a crew with a backup mission commander. Kuznetsov hears the announcement on the radio, and his fellow passenger calls it an easy stroll for fame and medals. Pavel reminds him of the dangers of spaceflight, and that the crew might never return home. On the orbital station, meteor shower causes a short circuit that disables critical electrical systems. Mukhin's crewmate is severely injured while trying to repair the damage. Emergency return is required, but the docking system is disabled, stranding the crew on their Soyuz-T spacecraft. Kuznetsov is tracked to his train and ordered to return to duty. Assigned a new flight engineer to mount the rescue mission, Pavel docks the opposite side of the station. He spacewalks to the stranded spacecraft and helps Mukhin drag the unconscious cosmonaut through the open space. Backup crewmates then make an emergency landing, while Kuznetsov and Mukhin are reunited as a team. They successfully repair the station and prepare to return to Earth. As they undock their spacecraft, another meteor shower damages the shielding and disables orientation engines. The air is quickly draining from the cabin, so the cosmonauts seal their suits and activate reserve oxygen supply, which will only last for 12 hours. Major General Sviridov, the head of the Cosmonaut's Training Center, volunteers for a dangerous rescue mission. He approaches the disabled spacecraft, which is spinning uncontrollably, and makes several unsuccessful docking attempts, nearly running out of fuel. Kuznetsov exits to the spacecraft's exterior and stop the rotation with a makeshift rocket engine that Mukhin assembled from spare parts. As Pavel tries to connect their craft's air hose to the reserve oxygen tanks on the Sviridov's spacecraft, his air supply runs out. Mukhin redirects his own supply to his friend's system, dooming himself to certain death.

Cast

Juozas Budraitis Juozas Budraitis (born 6 October 1940) is a Lithuanian actor. He has appeared in more than 60 films and television shows since 1966. He starred in the Soviet film ''Wounded Game'', which was entered into the 1977 Cannes Film Festival. Budraitis ...

- Colonel of Naval Aviation Pavel Kuznetsov *

Vitaly Solomin Vitaly Mefodievich Solomin (; 12 December 194127 May 2002) was a Soviet and Russian actor, director and screenwriter, best remembered for playing Dr. Watson in a series of Sherlock Holmes adaptations for Soviet television. He was the younger b ...

- flight engineer Vyacheslav Mukhin *

Aleksandr Porokhovshchikov Aleksandr Shalvovich Porokhovshchikov (, 31 January 1939, Moscow – 15 April 2012, Moscow) was a Russian film and theatre actor and film director, People's Artist of Russia (1994). He died of diabetes and other illness at age 73 in Russia. S ...

- Major General of Aviation Alexei Evgenievich Sviridov *Tamara Akulova - Sasha, Mukhin's girlfriend *Igor Vasiliev - mission controller *

Lyubov Sergeyevna Sokolova Lyubov Sergeevna Sokolova (; 31 July 1921 – 6 June 2001) was a Soviet and Russian cinema actress, named a People's Artist of the USSR. She played more than 300 film roles. Biography Lyubov Sokolova studied cinematography with Boris Bibikov ...

- Sofia Petrovna, mother-in-law of Kuznetsov *

Igor Dmitriev Igor Borisovich Dmitriev () (29 May 1927 – 26 January 2008) was a Soviet and Russian film and theatre actor who specialized in playing aristocratic characters in costume productions (e.g., Rosencrantz in Grigori Kozintsev's ''Hamlet''). Igor ...

- Kuznetsov's fellow traveler on the train *Valery Yurchenko - Valery Romanov, Mukhin's crewmate

Production

The film includes scenes shot on the Soviet space station

and the spacecraft

by cosmonauts Vladimir Lyakhov and Aleksandr Aleksandrov. Some scenes were shot in the

Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center The Yuri A. Gagarin State Scientific Research-and-Testing Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC; Russian: Центр подготовки космонавтов имени Ю. А. Гагарина) is a Russian training facility responsible for tra ...

and in the

RKA Mission Control Center The RKA Mission Control CenterRKA (): Russian space agency (, ). (), also known by its acronym TsUP () or by its radio callsign Mission Control Moscow, is the mission control center of Roscosmos. It is located in Korolyov, Moscow Oblast, on ...

Awards

The film received a special prize and a diploma in 1984 at the 17th All-Union Film Festival (Kiev): in the program of feature films.

References

External links

{{Salyut programme, state=collapsed 1984 films 1980s Soviet films 1980s Russian-language films Soviet science fiction films Russian-language science fiction films 1984 science fiction films Space adventure films Dovzhenko Film Studios films Films about astronauts Films shot in outer space Films set in Kazakhstan Films set on spacecraft Salyut program Films about meteoroids