The Soyuz spacecraft is the longest running
of any series of spacecraft, developed by the Soviet Union around
the time of the moon landing
the Soyuz rockets have had more than 1000 launches to there credit
since 1963. The Soyuz has been improved and redesigned several
times over its lifespan and is regarded as a proven and safe
spacecraft. So reliable is the Soyuz that it is used as the
International Space Station's
crew return vehicle, acting as a lifeboat in the unlikely event an
emergency would require the crew to leave the station. A new Soyuz
capsule
is normally delivered to the station by a Soyuz taxi crew every
six months -- the taxi crew then returns to Earth in the older
Soyuz capsule.
The Soyuz spacecraft is launched to the space station from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan aboard a Soyuz rocket. It
consists of an Orbital Module, a Descent Module and an
Instrumentation/Propulsion Module
The three-seater Original Soyuz used from 1966 to 1970 was the
first ancestor of the Soyuz-derived vehicles in use today. The
Original Soyuz
played much the same role in the Soviet manned lunar program as
Gemini did in the U.S. manned lunar program. The Salut 1 type
Soyuz was an
upgrade of the original design and was introduced in 1971 it's
second manned flight ended in disaster, forcing a redesign. in
1973 The Soyuz
Ferry replaced the Salyut 1-type Soyuz. It transported crews of
two cosmonauts to space station Salyut 3, Salyut 4, Salyut 5, and
Salyut 6. it was used until 1981.Several variants of the Soyuz
were built around this time to perform various manned and unmanned
missions the next major Soyuz to replace the Soyuz ferry was
developed in 1976 and used up until 1986. Soyuz-T gave the Soviets
the ability to launch three cosmonauts in a single spacecraft for
the first time since Soyuz 11 in 1971. It was used with the Salyut
6, Salyut 7, and Mir stations. In 1986 the Soyuz T was upgraded
and named Soyuz TM it was used to transport astronauts and
cosmonauts to Mir and then to the International Space Station
until November 2000.
The replacement for the Soyuz TM is the Soyuz TMA spacecraft, the
TMA increases safety, especially in descent and landing. It has
smaller and more efficient computers and improved displays. In
addition, the Soyuz TMA accommodates individuals as large as 1.9
meters.
Two new engines reduce landing speed and forces felt by
crewmembers by 15 to 30 percent and a new entry control system and
three-axis
accelerometer increase landing accuracy. Instrumentation
improvements include a color "glass cockpit," which is easier to
use and gives the crew more information, with hand controllers
that can be secured under an instrument panel. All the new
components in the Soyuz TMA can spend up to one year in space.
