Salyut was the Soviet Union's first series of space stations, launched between 1971 and 1986, pioneering long-duration human spaceflight. The program consisted of nine stations, with six focused on scientific research and three used for military purposes under the Almaz program. Salyut advanced critical space technologies like docking systems, allowing spacecraft to dock and resupply, and set the stage for modular space stations with multiple docking ports, as seen in Salyut 6 and 7.
These stations enabled extended human missions and experiments in space, helping to study the effects of long-term weightlessness. The program culminated in Salyut 7 and laid the foundation for the Mir space station and future international space stations like the ISS.
