Soyuz 14

Soyuz 14 was a crewed Soviet spaceflight that took place in July 1974. The mission's primary objective was to dock with and conduct experiments aboard the Salyut 3 military space station, also known as Almaz 2. The crew consisted of cosmonauts Pavel Popovich (commander) and Yuri Artyukhin (flight engineer).

The spacecraft launched on July 3, 1974, and successfully docked with Salyut 3 the following day. During their two-week stay aboard the station, Popovich and Artyukhin conducted a range of scientific and military experiments, including Earth observation, materials processing, and biomedical studies. The Earth observation component likely involved reconnaissance activities, as Salyut 3 was designed as a military reconnaissance platform. They used onboard cameras to photograph various locations on Earth.

The cosmonauts returned to Earth on July 19, 1974, concluding a successful mission and demonstrating the Soviet Union's continued progress in space station technology and long-duration spaceflight. Soyuz 14 marked a significant step in the development of Soviet space station programs and provided valuable experience for future long-duration missions.