Orlan-D

The Orlan-D ('Sea Eagle-D') was the first production model of the Orlan series, inheriting the revolutionary rear-entry semi-rigid design from the Krechet-94 lunar suit and adapting it for microgravity station operations. Unlike the Krechet, which was designed for planetary surface use, the Orlan-D was optimized for the zero-gravity environment of the Salyut orbital stations. It established the fundamental Orlan architecture — hard aluminum alloy upper torso (HUT), rear backpack/hatch entry, and self-contained life support — that has been continuously refined through six subsequent Orlan variants over nearly 50 years. Early Orlan-D models were umbilical-dependent; later versions evolved toward full autonomy.