Soyuz Spacecraft

Soyuz Spacecraft Latest News

A Soyuz spacecraft, adorned to commemorate the 80th anniversary of World War II's conclusion, departed from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome recently, transporting an American and two Russians to the International Space Station (ISS).

About Soyuz Spacecraft

• The Soyuz spacecraft is a Russian (formerly Soviet) spacecraft that has been used since the 1960s to transport astronauts and cosmonauts to and from space.
• The Soyuz programme is the longest operational human spacecraft programme in the history of space exploration. 
• The first crewed flight into space was on 23 April 1967. 
• Soyuz means "union" in Russian. 
• Although they were conceived by the Soviet Union at the start of the sixties, the Soyuz spacecraft are still used today, but with important modifications. 
• It has served mainly as a crew ferry to and from Earth-orbiting space stations, specifically the Salyut stations, Mir, and the International Space Station (ISS). 
• The Soyuz vehicles are launched by Russian rockets of the same name, which have already had over 1680 successful launches in total, including satellites and manned spacecraft. 
• Neither the Soyuz rockets nor the Soyuz vehicles are reusable.
• The journey of the Soyuz to the ISS can last six hours or two days depending on the mission profile. The return journey, in contrast, lasts only 3 hours. 

Soyuz Spacecraft Features

• The Soyuz spacecraft weigh 7 tonnes; they measure 7.2 m in length and 2.7 m in diameter. 
• With the solar panels open (they remain closed during launch), the Soyuz measures 10.6 m across. 
• A Soyuz vehicle can carry up to three astronauts.
• A Soyuz is made up of three modules: the service, the orbital, and the reentry modules. 
  • The orbital module (the “tip” of the spacecraft) carries the equipment necessary to dock with the International Space Station. 
  • The service module (the lower part) transports, among other things, telecommunications and altitude control equipment and the coupling of the solar panels. 
  • The descent module (in the middle) is where the astronauts travel, and it is the only section that reenters the atmosphere – the orbital module breaks up during reentry.

Soyuz Spacecraft FAQs

Q1. Which country made Soyuz spacecraft?

Ans. The Soyuz spacecraft was originally developed and made by the Soviet Union.

Q2. What is the Soyuz spacecraft primarily used for?

Ans. Transporting astronauts to and from space.

Q3. When did the first crewed Soyuz flight take place?

Ans. 23 April 1967

Source: TOI