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Orlan chronology

On this page is a history of the numbered Orlan spacesuits used on all Russian space stations, listed in order of delivery into orbit. Dates are in day/month/year format.

Orlans are not usually brought back to Earth because there is no room on the Soyuz to carry them, though crews might souvenir the gloves or helmet visor. The suits are usually discarded in a de-orbiting Progress spacecraft. Only one was recovered and taken back to Earth (№18 on STS-79 Atlantis).

The information up to Orlan №14 was adapted from one published in Novosti Kosmonavtiki №4, 2004: an article, “Orlanyi”, provides full statistics of all the spacesuits of the Orlan family used in orbit from the first delivery to Salyut-6. Information from then is gleaned from the daily On-Orbit Reports and various ISS photos. Another source was Anik at NASA Spaceflight.com.

Key to table headings:

Order
Order of delivery into orbit (flight order).
Number
Spacesuit serial number (comprised of 7 digits – XXX00XX; only the last two digits are given in the absence of information). Red stripes indicate odd production number, blue stripes even.
Ship
Orbital spaceship by which the spacesuit was brought.
Delivery date
Date of delivery to station (day/month/year).
First use
Date of first use.
Last use
Date of last use.
Disposal
Method of disposal.
Total
Number of official exits into open space + internal spacewalks that are not officially counted.
Hours
Total duration of official spacewalks in hours and minutes.

Orlan-D
«Орлан-Д»

Salyut-6
«Салют-6»
Number Ship Delivery date First use Last use Disposal Total Hours
33 Salyut-6 29 Sep 1977 20 Dec 1977 15 Aug 1979 Salyut-6 deorbit 3 05:11
34 Salyut-6 29 Sep 1977 20 Dec 1977 15 Aug 1979 Salyut-6 deorbit 3 05:11
Salyut-7
«Салют-7»
Number Ship Delivery date First use Last use Disposal Total Hours
45 Salyut-7 19 Apr 1982 30 Jul 1982 8 Aug 1984 Salyut-7 deorbit 10 34:41
46 Salyut-7 19 Apr 1982 30 Jul 1982 3 Nov 1983 Progress-24 3 08:17
47 Progress-19 23 Feb 1984 23 Apr 1984 8 Aug 1984 Salyut-7 deorbit 7 26:24

Notes

One of Orlan-D spacesuits (№33 or №34) was removed by Progress-12.

Orlan-DM
«Орлан-ДМ»

Salyut-7
«Салют-7»
Number Ship Delivery date First use Last use Disposal Total Hours
8 Kosmos-1669 21 Jul 1985 2 Aug 1985 31 May 1986 Salyut-7 deorbit 3 13:50
10 Kosmos-1669 21 Jul 1985 2 Aug 1985 31 May 1986 Salyut-7 deorbit 3 13:50
Mir
«Мир»
Number Ship Delivery date First use Last use Disposal Total Hours
7 Core module 20 Feb 1986 11 Apr 1987 30 Jun 1988 ? 5 18:23
9 Core module 20 Feb 1986 11 Apr 1987 30 Jun 1988 ? 5 18:23

Orlan-DMA
«Орлан-ДМА»

Mir
«Мир»
Number Ship Delivery date First use Last use Disposal Total Hours
6 Progress-38 12 Sep 1988 20 Oct 1988 27 Jul 1991 ? 14 69:04
10 Progress-38 12 Sep 1988 20 Oct 1988 25 Apr 1991 VKD jettison (27 Jul 1991) 9 39:32
8 Kvant-2 6 Dec 1989 26 Jan 1990 20 Feb 1992 Progress M-17 10 50:24
12 Kvant-2 6 Dec 1989 26 Jan 1990 20 Feb 1992 Progress M-17 7 29:14
14 Progress M-7 28 Mar 1991 25 Jun 1991 22 Oct 1993 Jettisoned during spacewalk on 29 Oct 1993 13 48:47
15 Progress M-7 28 Mar 1991 8 Jul 1992 18 Jun 1993 ? 7 30:22
18 Progress M-15 29 Oct 1992 29 Oct 1993 8 Dec 1995 Recovered by STS-79 13 54:32
25 Progress M-17 2 Apr 1993 16 Sep 1993 13 Jun 1996 Progress M-36 15 59:27
27 Progress M-26 17 Feb 1995 12 May 1995 20 Oct 1997 Mir deorbit 12 + 1 55:58
26 Progress M-29 10 Oct 1995 20 Oct 1995 20 Oct 1997 Mir deorbit 12 + 1 61:22

Orlan-M
«Орлан-М»

The Orlan-M suits are usually referred to by their last two numbers (e.g. suit #1280012 is #12).

Mir
«Мир»
Number Ship Delivery date First use Last use Disposal Total Hours
1060004 Progress M-34 8 Apr 1997 29 Apr 1997 12 May 2000 Mir deorbit 14 + 1 72:22
1060005 Progress M-34 8 Apr 1997 29 Apr 1997 16 Apr 1999 Mir deorbit 11 + 2 59:54
1060006 Progress M-36 8 Oct 1997 3 Mar 1998 12 May 2000 Mir deorbit 9 + 1 47:24
ISS
МКС
Number Ship Delivery date First use Last use Disposal Total Hours
1280012 Zvezda 26 Jul 2000 8 Jun 2001 25 Jan 2002 Progress M-50 7 31:01
1280023 Zvezda 26 Jul 2000 8 Jun 2001 27 Feb 2004 Progress M1-11 8 + 1 32:39
1280014 Progress M-SO1 17 Sep 2001 14 Jan 2002 27 Feb 2004 SuitSat 5 + 1 25:42
0520025 Progress M1-11 31 Jan 2004 24 Jun 2004 6 Jun 2007 Progress M-01M 13 65:53
1130026 Progress M1-11 31 Jan 2004 24 Jun 2004 10 Mar 2009 Progress M-02M 11 61:25
0240027 Progress M-49 27 May 2004 26 Mar 2005 10 Mar 2009 Progress M-02M 10 49:46

Notes

  • Suit Orlan-M №25 developed a leak and spare parts arrived on Progress M-58 (two new arms which were attached by Mikhail on 14 November) and a new leg was brought up on M-59. This prolonged the suit’s life until December 2007 (originally to expire December 2006).

Orlan-MK

A new version of the Orlan fitted with a digital computer in its life support backpack to process and transmit systems information, rather than the previous BRTA radio-telemetry equipment.

  • Orlan №1 (red stripes): used for destructive tests
  • Orlan №2 (blue stripes): used for tests
  • Orlan №3 (red stripes): used for tests; on display in the Zvezda Museum
ISS
МКС
Number Ship Delivery date First use Last use Disposal Total Hours:Min
1170004 Progress M-65 12 Sep 2008 14 Jan 2010 (EVA-24) 16 Feb 2012 (EVA-30)   7 48:20
1080005 Progress M-66 12 Feb 2009 22 Jun 2009 (EVA-22) 20 Aug 2012 (EVA-32)   7 33:09
1080006 Progress M-02M 24 Apr 2009 22 Jun 2009 (EVA-22) 20 Aug 2012 (EVA-32)   6 36:41

Russian spacewalks

Photos taken outside during spacewalks wearing the Orlan spacesuits (VKD: Russian acronym for EVA).