ORBITAL RADAR

Sokol Suit

The lightest crewed spacesuit in active use — worn on every Soyuz flight since 1973 as an emergency pressure backup after the Soyuz 11 cabin decompression disaster that killed three cosmonauts. At approximately 10 kg, the Sokol is a marvel of minimalist life-support engineering.

Last updated: · Space Library

Key Specifications

Full Name Sokol KV-2 (Сокол — "Falcon")
Manufacturer NPP Zvezda (Russia)
First Flight Soyuz 12 (September 1973)
Triggered By Soyuz 11 disaster (June 1971) — 3 crew killed by depressurisation
Mass ~10 kg
Pressure 5.8 psi (40 kPa)
Type IVA rescue suit (launch, entry, docking)
Endurance ~5 hours (emergency breathing only)
Entry Front-opening zipper
Total Flights 200+ (all crewed Soyuz since 1973)
Status Active

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