Following the deaths, the mission of Salyut 1 was terminated, and the station reentered Earth's atmosphere, burning up on October 11, 1971.

The basic structure of Salyut 1 was adapted from the Almaz with a few modifications and would form the basis of all Soviet space stations through Mir.

[2] Several military experiments were nonetheless carried on Salyut 1, including the OD-4 optical visual ranger,[4] the Orion ultraviolet instrument for characterizing rocket exhaust plumes,[5] and the highly classified Svinets radiometer.

The station was intentionally destroyed by de-orbiting after six months in orbit, because it ran out of fuel before a redesigned Soyuz spacecraft could be launched to it.

[10] At launch, the announced purpose of Salyut was to test the elements of the systems of a space station and to conduct scientific research and experiments.

Televised views showed enough space for eight large chairs (seven at work consoles), several control panels, and 20 portholes (some obstructed by instruments).

Externally mounted were two double sets of solar cell panels that extended like wings from the smaller compartments at each end, the heat regulation system's radiators, and orientation and control devices.

Soyuz 10 was launched on April 22, 1971, carrying cosmonauts Vladimir Shatalov, Aleksei Yeliseyev, and Nikolai Rukavishnikov.

After taking 24 hours for rendezvous and approach, Soyuz 10 soft-docked with Salyut 1 on April 24 at 01:47 UTC and remained for 5.5 h.[1] Hard-docking was unsuccessful due to technical malfunctions.

[15] The cosmonauts Georgy Dobrovolsky, Viktor Patsayev, and Vladislav Volkov entered to Salyut 1 and their mission was announced as:[1] On June 29, after 23 days and flying 362 orbits, the mission was cut short due to problems aboard the station, including an electrical fire.

The capsule parachuted to a soft landing at 23:16:52 UTC in Kazakhstan, but the recovery team opened the hatch to find all three crew members dead in their couches.

An inquest found that a pressure relief valve had malfunctioned during reentry leading to a loss of cabin atmosphere.

[16] The crew were not wearing pressure suits, and it was decreed by the TsKBEM (the team of engineers who investigated the tragedy) that all further Soyuz missions would require the use of them.

In the meantime, Soyuz capsules were being substantially redesigned to allow pressure suits to be worn during launch, docking maneuvers, and re-entry.