This article belongs to the lore of Aurorum.

Sigma 5

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Sigma 5
Sigma 5 Lukas Brennzer on the Moon 1980.jpg
Lukas Brennzer next to the Scientific Instrument Module on the Moon, May 6, 1980, photographed by Aleksandr Sahalinov
Mission typeCrewed lunar landing
OperatorEmblem of the MAOA.png MAOA
DulebianSpaceAgency.png People's Republic of Dulebia space program
COSPAR IDCSM: 1980-023A
LM: 1980-023B
SATCAT no.CSM: 13106
LM: 13108
Mission duration11 days, 6 hours, 46 minutes, 11 seconds
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft
  • Sigma CSM-137
  • Sigma LM-12
Manufacturer
  • CSM: TBD
  • LM: MAOA/Albatross
Launch mass10,869 pounds (4,930 kg)
Landing mass12,054 pounds (5,468 kg)
Crew
Crew size4
Members
Callsign
  • CSM: Soyuz (Союз)
  • LM: Einigung
EVAs1 in cislunar space to retrieve film cassettes and 3 on the lunar surface
EVA duration1 h 23 min 42 s (spacewalk)
Start of mission
Launch dateMay 2, 1980, 12:10:00 (1980-05-02UTC12:10Z) UTC
RocketAtlant-3 AT-388
Launch siteCape Waimud Space Center, Akawhk
End of mission
Recovered byMSS Walküre
Landing dateMay 13, 1980, 18:56:11 (1980-05-13UTC18:56:12Z) UTC
Landing site408 km off the coast of Sileria
Orbital parameters
Reference systemSelenocentric
Periselene altitude20.7 kilometers (11.2 nmi)
Aposelene altitude105.4 kilometers (56.9 nmi)
Period1.89 hours
EpochMay 5, 1980, 00:00 UTC
Payload
Mass
  • SIM: 198 pounds (90 kg)
  • LRV: 463 pounds (210 kg)
Sigma 5 insignia.png Sigma 5 crew portrait.png
Left to right: Lukas Brennzer, Georgy Cheryomushev, Walther Gählen, Aleksandr Sahalinov
← Sigma 4
Sigma 6 →
 

Sigma 5 was the fifth international manned spaceflight mission of the Sigma program between the Mascyllary and Dulebian space programmes. It was the first mission that successfully landed humans on the Moon. The overarching project, and its culmination into the first lunar landing, evolved into a keen symbol of détente between the democratic and communist blocs of the Great Game and is agreed upon to mark the end of the Space Race.

The four crew members and astronauts Lukas Brennzer, Georgy Cheryomushev, Walther Gählen and Aleksandr Sahalinov launched from Cape Waimud Space Center, Akawhk, on May 2, 1980 at 12:10:00 UTC with a Atlant-3 rocket, before arrving in lunar orbit three days later. While Command Module pilot Cheryomushev remained in orbit and flew the Soyuz alone, Brennzer, Gählen and Sahalinov jettisoned the Lunar Module Einigung to depart for landing on the Moon; at 13:07 UTC on May 5, 1980, Einigung touched down in the Mare Ingensis region. Five hours later, Sahalinov became the first person to step onto the lunar surface, with Brennzer and Gählen following twenty and fifty-three minutes respectively. The three astronauts spent 79 hours and 11 minutes on the surface of the Moon, collecting 29 kilograms of samples and rocks and conducting multiple scientific experiments before lifting off and returning to Soyuz again via the Einigung ascent stage. Soyuz then jettisoned Einigung and accelerated to exit lunar orbit towards Aurorum, and finally splashing down in the North Agric Ocean on May 13 and retrieved by the Mascyllary aircraft carrier MSS Walküre after approximately 11 days in space.

The landing and Sahalinov's first step on the lunar surface was broadcasted in live TV to more than 400 million people, the largest audience to a live event broadcasted in history. While the mission was originally intended to symbolize the cooperation and technological edge of both political blocs, it also had significant scientific value whereby the surface samples returned to Earth revealed the Moon's chemical composition and the scientific experiments conducted on the Moon gathered intel about its magnetosphere, atmosphere and geology. The experiences and scientific data gained from Sigma 5 would prove to be of vital importance for the six following missions of the Sigma program, and the later development of Haller Base in 1987.

Background

Crew and mission control

Mascyllary crew

Dulebian crew

Planning and training

Incidents

Hardware

Spacecraft

Launch vehicle

Space suits

Lunar rover-?

Mission summary

Launch and outbound trip

Landing

Lunar surface

Return to Earth

Legacy

Commemorations

Gallery-?

See also