Lot 306
Sokol-K "Falcon" Crew Rescue Spacesuit. Developed as a result of the decompression accident onboard Soyuz-11, this first version of a rescue suit was worn by all Soviet crews from Soyuz-12 (1973) till Soyuz-36 (1980). Starting with Soyuz T-2, a modified version of this suit, with two entry zippers on the front, was put into use. Modifications of this version of the suit are still in use to this day.
The Sokol-K rescue space suit was designed to be worn during critical phases of the mission - launch, docking and landing. NPP Zvezda was given the task of providing the suits. They rejected the use of existing Russian space suits and chose to base a new suit on the existing Sokol aviation pressure suit. The main modification to the aviation version of the suit was the replacement of the Sokol suit's hard helmet. Other features of the aviation suit that were considered unnecessary were removed to save weight. The new suit was named the Sokol-K; "K" being the abbreviation of the Russian word for space.
The Sokol suit is constructed of two layers: an internal and an external. The internal part is made of an elastic or rubberized-type material and keeps serves to the suit pressurized for the realatively short times the suit was in use. The external layer is made of a flame resistant fabric, a type of Dacron. The suit, including the helmet and feet, is fully integrated; only the gloves are put on seperately. The helmet has a soft back cover and folds back when the wearer is upright: it can only fit over cosmonaut's head when he is lying in a knees-up position. The front of the helmet is clear polycarbonate.
The wearer climbs into the suit via the neck-to-crotch front seam. The suit is then sealed by lacing the seam. The suit does not have its own life support system, but is rather connected to that of the Soyuz. It is thus not a "spacesuit" but a rescue, survival or pressure suit. Only about 300 Sokol flight suits and 135 training/testing suits of all types have been made in the past 35 years and only a limited number have survived the ravages of time.
Although well used, this suit is a prime example of the early state of the art. It is complete with oxygen and air hoses and connectors, gloves (blue astronaut initials on each glove) and rubberized internal pressure lining. There is a red CCCP patch on the left shoulder, a round USSR patch on the right shoulder and a Zvezda blue/red patch on the chest.
It is in need of a good home and will make an important addition to any space collection.
Estimated Value $10,000 - 15,000.
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