Soyuz (Vehicle Lineage)

Soyuz is the most enduring crewed spacecraft ever built. First flown in 1967, this Soviet and then Russian capsule has carried people to orbit for more than half a century, outlasting every rival and becoming the steady, dependable taxi of human spaceflight.

Quick facts

• First crewed flight: 1967.
• Origin: the Soviet Union; still flown by Russia today.
• Crew: up to three people per flight.
• Design: three sections, an orbital module for living space, a central descent module for launch and landing, and a service module with engines and solar panels.
• Role: ferrying crews to space stations, from Salyut and Mir to the ISS.

How it works

The Soyuz spacecraft launches on a rocket of the same name, itself descended from the R-7 that lofted Sputnik. Only the middle section, the bell-shaped descent module, returns to Earth; the other two are discarded and burn up. The capsule parachutes down onto land, firing small rockets in the final moment to soften the touchdown. This basic layout has been refined over decades but never abandoned, because it works.

Why it matters

Soyuz is the workhorse that kept humans flying through every gap and crisis in spaceflight. When the US Space Shuttle was grounded after accidents, and again after its retirement in 2011, Soyuz was for years the only way for anyone, including American astronauts, to reach the International Space Station. Its long record of steady service, constant small improvements, and proven safety systems has made it a benchmark for reliability, and it continues to fly crews to orbit today alongside newer spacecraft.