\<COLOUR 1> LAUNCH DATE: \<COLOUR 0> December 10, 1977
\<COLOUR 1> LAUNCH SITE: \<COLOUR 0> Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Central Asia
\<COLOUR 1> FLIGHT TIME: \<COLOUR 0> 96 days 10 hr
\<COLOUR 1> CREW: \<COLOUR 0> Yuri V Romanenko, Georgi M Grechko
\<COLOUR 1> COUNTRY: \<COLOUR 0> USSR
\<COLOUR 1> HIGHLIGHTS: \<COLOUR 0> First successful ferry mission to Salyut 6; crew set new space duration record; during their marathon stay, they are visited by the crew of Soyuz 27, who return in Soyuz 26, leaving Soyuz 27 for them to use; first use of unmanned Progress supply craft (Progress 1) to carry fresh supplies to orbiting stations; the swapping of ferries and use of Progress establish pattern for future Soviet long-term stays in space.