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Soyuz survival kit

As the Soyuz capsule could land anywhere between 51.6° north or south if the ballistic descent was off-course, the survival gear on-board must provide for landing on sea or earth. The equipment provided is extensive and comprehensive (and fills most of the Descent Module!). Its acronym is НАЗ, NAZ (Носимый Аварийный Запас, Nosimyi Avariynyi Zapas) – Portable Survival Kit.

The photo illustration link and extract below are from MiG Pilot Survival: Russian Aircrew Survival Equipment and Instruction by Alan R. Wise (1996 Schiffer Military History Books).

NAZ-3 contents

In Russian, a survival kit is designated as a Portable Emergency Kit, or by the abbreviation NAZ, НАЗ. The number or letter following the designation is relative to the series of kit of a particular application. For example, the NAZ-3 used aboard the Soyuz spacecraft is the third model spacecraft kit and not a predecessor of the NAZ-7 used in ejection seat-equipped aircraft.

The NAZ-3 is contained in two orange triangular aluminium containers with grey canvas tops and zippers. They are stowed between the seats. The NAZ-3 is designed to serve the three cosmonauts for 72 hours and includes (left to right, top to bottom in photo):

Makarov pistol and ammunition; wrist compass, 18 waterproof matches with striker; machete; fishing kit; strobe light with spare battery; 8 fire starters; folding knife; antenna; 3-pair wool gloves; signal mirror; NAZ-7M type medical kit; penlight; R-855-YM or R-855-A1 radio; two “Priboy 2S”, ПРИБОЙ-2С radio batteries; three wool balaclava hoods. Not shown are containers, three PSND, ПСНД hand-held flares; 15 mm flare set; whistle; sewing kit; insect repellent; wire saw; rations and 2-liter water container.

The pistol is used for shooting game should the crew be stranded for more than a few days, or scaring off wolves, bears, tigers, etc. Personally I think the crew would be in more danger from hostile humans – if they landed in a region that wasn’t too kindly inclined towards the nationalities on board.

This extract from Star-Crossed Orbits: Inside the U.S.-Russian Space Alliance by James Oberg, describes a different type of on-board gun:

Russian participation means that there are guns on board the ISS, and the guns belong to the Russians. This is not quite as alarming as it sounds, and officially it’s no secret. However, I could never find any mention of this design feature on NASA web sites or mission press kits. Actually, it’s a safety feature, and not an unreasonable one.

American astronauts who trained for the 1995–1997 Mir visits, and later as part of the Soyuz spacecraft crews for the International Space Station, encountered a unique feature that cosmonauts need to master: target practice. They have to know how to load, aim, and fire the special survival gun that has been on board all Soyuz spacecraft throughout their 30-year history.

The triple-barreled gun can fire flares, shotgun shells, or rifle bullets, depending on how it’s loaded. The gun and about 10 rounds for each barrel are carried in a triangle-shaped survival canister stowed next to the commander’s couch. The gun’s shoulder stock opens up into a machete for chopping firewood.

Familiarization with the gun usually takes place during survival training in the Black Sea, when the crews train to safely exit a spacecraft floating on the water (although a firing range at the cosmonaut center at Star City near Moscow is sometimes used for training). After floating around in the water for a day or two, the astronauts and cosmonauts take a few hours to fire several rounds from each chamber off the deck of the training ship.

“It was amazing how many wine, beer, and vodka bottles the crew of the ship could come up with for us to shoot at,” astronaut Jim Voss told me. “It was very accurate,” he continued. “We threw the bottles as far as possible, probably 20 or 30 meters, then shot them. It was trivial to hit the bottles with the shotgun shells, and relatively easy to hit them with the rifle bullets on the first shot.”

“It is a wonderful gun,” agreed Mir veteran Dave Wolf. “I found it to be well balanced, highly accurate, and convenient to use.”

Mike Foale trained with the gun and found it to be pretty standard. “Other than firing flares, bird shot, and a hard slug from its three barrels, during sea and winter survival training, I can’t say it is very unique,” he told me. He added, as if in reassurance, “The Soyuz commander controls its use.”

Every Soyuz spacecraft carries such a gun, although none of these guns have ever been unpacked in flight. And they have never been needed, with the exception of an incident in 1965, when bears (or wolves – the story varies) chased two far-off-course cosmonauts. The guns are often presented to crew members as postflight souvenirs. Although several survival kit bags have shown up at space auctions, I’ve never seen any of the guns for sale.

On the Soyuz TMA-11 flight in October 2007 the pistol was not carried for the first time in 20 years, as reported in the Guardian. There was a shortage of the special ammunition required for the gun – the original ammunition had deteriorated and no new bullets were available. Soyuz commander Yurii Malenchenko instead carried an ordinary pistol/handgun.

Soyuz crews with a U.S. astronaut on board are also provided with an Iridium/Motorola-9505 satellite phone and a Garmin GPSMAP 76 handheld GPS unit, which can be used anywhere on Earth, though the batteries might fail in very cold weather. The 9505 model, introduced in 2003, was upgraded to a newer version:

For the CDR, it was time again for the recharging of the Motorola Iridium-9505A satellite phone brought up on Soyuz 16S, a monthly routine job and his third time. [After retrieving it from its location in the TMA-12/16S descent module (BO), Sergey was to initiate the recharging of its lithium-ion battery, monitoring the process every 10-15 minutes as it takes place. Upon completion at ~4:50 p.m., the phone will be returned inside its SSSP Iridium kit and stowed back in the BO’s operational data files (ODF) container. The satphone accompanies returning ISS crews on Soyuz reentry & landing for contingency communications with SAR (Search-and-Rescue) personnel after touchdown (e.g., after an “undershoot” ballistic reentry, as happened during the recent 15S return). The Russian-developed procedure for the monthly recharging has been approved jointly by safety officials. During the procedure, the phone is left in its fire-protective fluoroplastic bag with open flap. The Iridium 9505A satphone uses the Iridium constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites to relay the landed Soyuz capsule's GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates to helicopter-borne recovery crews. The older Iridium-9505 phones were first put onboard Soyuz in August 2003. The newer 9505A phone, currently in use, delivers 30 hours of standby time and three hours of talk, up from 20 and two hours, respectively, on the older units.]

– ISS Daily Report: 5 July 2008

The Sydney Powerhouse museum has an example of a NAZ-3 kit, from which the following description is taken (no photo available, unfortunately).

7/3/5 Emergency kit, portable, NAZ-3, used on Soyuz TM-9, metal/​canvas/​cloth/​plastic/​synthetics, Zvezda, USSR, 1989

Description

Emergency kit, portable, NAZ-3, used on Soyuz TM-9, metal/​canvas/​cloth/​plastic/​synthetics, Zvezda, USSR, 1989

Contains a range of survival gear and equipment for use by cosmonauts in the event of an off-course landing. The complete kit weighs 32.5 kg and consists of several components:

  1. Hydrosuit and mittens.
    • 1/1. Hydrosuit: “Forel” (trout) hydrosuit. One piece orange-coloured rubberised amphibious floatation suit, for use in emergency water landings. The suit has an attached hood made of yellow foam rubber trimmed in orange grosgrain which has an adjustable chin strap of bright orange nylon webbing, The integral rubber-soled boots can be cut off and used as overboots for crossing marshy terrain. They are fitted with metal lace-up rings and red plastic grommets from foot to knee to aid this conversion. Long sleeves have grey rubber cuffs. A “Neva” self-inflating floatation vest is also part of the suit and is attached at left and right front breast via bright orange nylon webbing straps and aluminium buckes. It fastens at centre front with bright orange webbing straps and a white plastic clip and ring. It also includes a backup manual inflation tube, emergency beacon and signalling light which is laced into a small pocket at right front with bright orange lacing. Gusseted pockets at left and right front thigh with flap that fastens with velcro, the right pocket contains four bright orange nylon laces for the boots. Centre front opening with a metal zipper to neck. There is an inset belt of grey webbing that fastens into place at centre front waist with velcro.
    • 1/2/1:2. Mittens: the suit comes with a pair of brown, foam-insulated nylon jersey mittens, with thumb and 2 wide finger stalls (ie: 3 fingers are meant to fit in last finger stall). They have a grey rubber gusset inside the opening and a bright orange webbing strap around the wrist which is adjustable via metal slip buckles.
  2. Cold weather suit: “TZK” cold weather suit, for use in case of landing in arctic/subarctic regions.
    • 2/1. Parka: padded hip length parka with hood, made of royal blue cire. It includes integral mittens with a opening at inside wrist that fastens with velcro. Two diagonal slash pockets at left and right front at hip level that fasten with white nylon zippers and two inside patch pockets at left and right breast. Drawstring of white cotton cord at waist. The parka carries two applique patches depicting the Zvezda logo at right front, and the state seal of USSR, with the Soviet standard (CCCP) on the left shoulder. Centre front opening fastens with white nylon zipper and overflap that fastens with four metal press studs. Machine sewn and fully lined with orange nylon.
    • 2/2. Jumpsuit: padded full length jumpsuit made of the same royal blue nylon as the parka. There is royal blue and white striped ribbing around the hight round neck and the cuffs of the long sleeves. Two patch pockets at left and right front breast and two patch pockets with diagonal openings at left and right front hip. The waist is elasticised and the centre front opening fastens with a white nylon zipper and seven metal press studs. The MIR space station patch is attached at the right front pocket. There are white elastic stirrup straps attached to the hem of legs. Machine sewn and fully lined with grey polyester satin.
    • 2/3/1:2. Overboots: pair of padded overboots made of royal blue nylon to match the parka and jumpsuit. Simple slip on style with elastic around the top edge and a short tab at the bottom of the heel with velcro to adjust fit. Fully lined with grey polyester satin.
    • 2/4/1:2. Ugh boots: pair of simple slip on sheepskin boots to be worn beneath the overboots. Both are marked on the sole 40-41. One boot has serial number 1313, the other is marked 1117.
    • 2/5/1:2. Gloves: pair of brown wool knit gloves with ribbed cuffs to be worn beneath mittens of the parka, marked “6”.
    • 2/6. Cap: peaked cap made of royal blue wool knit to be worn under parka hood. Has buttoned earflaps with dark blue plastic buttons and a covered button topknot. Marked: 8307, B.A.N. in Cyrillic, the initials of cosmonaut Alexander Nicholaievich Balandin. Machine sewn and lined with knitted grey wool.
    • 2/7. Balaclava: royal blue wool knit, to be worn under the cap and/or parka hood. Carries the same label as the cap.
  3. “Granat-6” (pomegranat) survival kit consisting of 3 separate containers. Each container has an orange nylon canvas casing fitted with braided nylon cords, metal clips, velcro tabs and zippers.
    • 3/1. Water container: rectangular water container made of plastic with plastic screw on lid and grey webbing strap across top, with external drinking tube held in place via orange webbing loops. Orange nylon cover has two white nylon cords attached with metal clips at the ends. Black stencilled markings in Cyrillic include serial number and the word “water”.
    • 3/2. First aid/mess kit “Block 2”: roughly rectangular package with two compartments. Both ends fasten with a metal zipper, orange webbing straps and slip buckles, one end also has straps and velcro. Attached to one end via metal D-rings are two red nylon cords with metal clip at each end. Serial number and contents stencilled on side in black. (The hypodermic needles and drugs have been removed.)
    • 3/3/1:2. Survival supplies “Block 3” and batteries (2).
    • -3/3/1. Roughly rectangular package is in two parts bound together by lacings, and has four compartments which fasten with velco or red nylon zippers. Contains a range of survival supplies including radio, machete, fishing tackle, matches, flares, wire saws etc. Nylon webbing carry strap and two long lengths of dark navy blue nylon cord with metal clips at each end. (Originally the kit also included a military issue pistol and cartridges).
    • 3/3/2-1:2. Two identical batteries, silver cover with black markings in Cyrillic.

Production notes

The “NAZ-3” (Nositoi Avaroinoi Zapac – Portable Emergency Supply) kit was designed for use with Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in the event of an off-course landing in an inhospitable area (such as Siberia or the Ural Mountains) or in water, from which the crew could not be quickly rescued. It was designed to provide survival gear for a crew of three for three days, and the complete kit would have included the Forel and TZK suits for all three cosmonauts.

The NAZ emergency kits were designed by the Zvezda Design Bureau from the beginnings of the Soviet space program. A certificate from Zvezda, in Russian, with a certified English tanslation, signed by the agency’s Director, G.I. Severin, accompanies the NAZ kit and confirms its design and manufacture by Zvezda.

The NAZ-3 kit was manufactured by the Zvezda Design Bureau in its own facilities, probably in Moscow.

History notes

This kit is certified by Zvezda as having been flown on board the Soyuz TM-9 mission, which was launched to the Mir space station on Feb 11, 1990 and returned to Earth on August 9, 1990.

This kit was produced by the Zvezda Design bureau and returned to it after Soyuz TM-9 flight, which was fortunately incident free. The Forel and TZK suits in the kit bear the initials of cosmonaut Alexander Balandin, the Flight Engineer on that mission, to whom they were assigned. Zvezda consigned the kit to the Sotheby’s New York space auction 16/3/96. It was Lot 367.

SoyCOM: 3.21. Носимый Аварийный Запас (НАЗ) (post-landing survival kit)

НАЗ purpose

The “Granat 6” НАЗ is designed for the Soyuz spacecraft crew life support at the off-nominal landing site during not less than 3 days.

НАЗ composition

The НАЗ Kit is made up of the following component groups:

  • Emergency radio and illumination aids;
  • Camp outfit;
  • Water/Meals group;
  • Weapon;
  • Medical Aid Kit;
  • Individual buoyancy aids;
  • Thermal protection garment.

Unit 1

The Unit 1 bag is made of orange capron. In the bag there are: potable water canister, crew checklist for off-nominal solid ground landing/water splashdown and a polyethylene flask. At the bag side in the pocket there is a mouthpiece for water drinking.

The 6-liter canister is made of Aluminium alloy and has two orifices: the greater one and the smaller one. The smaller orifice is used for inserting the mouthpiece and is covered with a thread plug. The greater orifice makes it easier to fill the canister with water, snow or ice to be melted and is covered with a coupling connector and a coupling nut. The crew checklist is put into a polyethylene bag and soldered. The soft polyethylene flask in tissue jacket is used for water stowage under the garment in cold weather.

Unit 2

The Unit 2 bag is made of rubberized tissue of orange color and has two pressure tight sections. In the upper section there are food rations and salt. In the lower section there are the medical aid kit and camp outfit articles. The medical aid kit contains medicines and dressing material. The medical kit composition and usage instruction data are on the label sticked to the kit cover inner part. The camp outfit includes: fishing tackle, dry fuel, wind resistant matches, needles/threads, wire saw (3 pieces). The medical cloak (3 pcs.) can also be used for precipitation/overcooling/overheating protection and for water collection. To provide for the crew meals there are three meal a day food rations for each crewman in the НАЗ Kit.

Unit 3

The unit is composed of two pressure tight bags connected to each other and to the raft which is laced up above. In the lower bag there is the emergency radio set with cables and power supply sources, signal/illumination aids, a lantern, light filters, a whetstone for sharpening knives, sticky plasters, a measuring glass and packets for vomit excreta. In the upper bag there are weapon, a machete knife in casing, the Air Force graded multi-tool knife and cartridges in bandoliers. The raft purpose is to provide for the Unit 3 positive buoyancy.

The emergency VHF band radio set purpose is to enable the off-nominally landed crew to communicate with the Search/Rescue Service planes and helicopters and to direct them to the crew actual position in the area. The radio set can operate in two modes: “Связь” (Communication) and “Маяк” (Beacon). The radio set is equipped with three power sources.

The weapon is a three-barrel pistol (“ТП-82” make). It is designed for light/audio signaling, hunting/game shooting and defense for beast-of-prey. For the upper two smooth-bore barrel shooting 12.5 mm cartridges are used, for the lower rifled barrel 5.45 mm bullet cartridges are to be used. The machete knife in casing can be used as a butt for the weapon. For giving light signals light signaling aids are used.

There are hydraulic combination suits (3 pcs stowed in one soft package) which are individual survival aids in case of the CA water surface splashdown. The suits have two eye-loops each to enable the crewman to be lifted from the water surface on board the hovering helicopter.

The thermal protection garment (3 sets, each stowed in 4 soft packages) is designed for the crew protection on the ground at the temperatures of down to −50°C and at the wind speed of up to 10 m/s. The set can be worn together with the underwear, flight suit and the hydro-suit. It consists of: combination suit, jacket, high boots, helmet, cap, fur socks and wool gloves.

Related page: Soyuz survival training

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