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Soyuz (spacecraft)
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<p>Soyuz (‹The template <i>Lang-rus</i> is being considered for deletion.› Russian: Союз, IPA: [soʊˈjus], <a href="/facts/Literal_translation/0cF1oFRh">lit.</a> 'Union') is a series of <a href="/facts/Spacecraft/YQqQaUw0">spacecraft</a> which has been in service since the 1960s, having made more than 140 flights. It was designed for the <a href="/facts/Soviet_space_program/Nz5vfPGg">Soviet space program</a> by the Korolev Design Bureau (now <a href="/facts/Energia_(corporation)/fThW3H3L">Energia</a>). The Soyuz succeeded the <a href="/facts/Voskhod_spacecraft/y3jTV72e">Voskhod spacecraft</a> and was originally built as part of the <a href="/facts/Soviet_crewed_lunar_programs/39nYdnfM">Soviet crewed lunar programs</a>. It is launched atop the similarly named <a href="/facts/Soyuz_(rocket_family)/cGMjYIPX">Soyuz rocket</a> from the <a href="/facts/Baikonur_Cosmodrome/sk16LwcH">Baikonur Cosmodrome</a> in <a href="/facts/Kazakhstan/Vfs8NI6e">Kazakhstan</a>. </p><p>Following the Soviet Union's dissolution, <a href="/facts/Roscosmos/GzWfae7U">Roscosmos</a>, the Russian space agency, continued to develop and utilize the Soyuz. Between the <a href="/facts/Space_Shuttle_retirement/XtqS0N5n">Space Shuttle's 2011 retirement</a> and the <a href="/facts/SpaceX_Crew_Dragon/Wy8kUegK">SpaceX Crew Dragon</a>'s 2020 debut, Soyuz was the sole means of crewed transportation to and from the International Space Station, a role it continues to fulfill. The Soyuz design has also influenced other spacecraft, including China's <a href="/facts/Shenzhou_(spacecraft)/h5sA5L6L">Shenzhou</a> and Russia's <a href="/facts/Progress_(spacecraft)/l9GvvKLs">Progress</a> cargo vehicle. </p><p>The Soyuz is a single-use spacecraft composed of three main sections. The descent module is where cosmonauts are seated for launch and reentry. The orbital module provides additional living space and storage during orbit but is jettisoned before reentry. The service module, responsible for propulsion and power, is also discarded prior to reentry. For added safety and aerodynamics, the spacecraft is encased within a <a href="/facts/Payload_fairing/V1UezFkV">fairing</a> with a <a href="/facts/Launch_escape_system/nPGKUesD">launch escape system</a> during liftoff. </p>