The longest
serving manned spacecraft in the world, the Soyuz was originally conceived
in Sergei Korolev's OKB-1 design bureau for the Soviet effort
to explore the Moon at the beginning of the 1960s. However, long after
the Moon race was over, the Soyuz continued ferrying Russian crews to
the Salyut and Almaz orbital stations,
as well as it performed several solo flights and the historic docking
with the US Apollo spacecraft in 1975.
The origin of
the Soyuz spacecraft
Unlike one-man
Vostok spacecraft, the three-seat Soyuz would be able to conduct active
maneuvering, orbital rendezvous and docking. These features were all necessary
for a flight around the Moon and for lunar expedition itself. In the early
scenario of "circumlunar" flight, the Soyuz would be actually
a three-part spacecraft assembled in the low-Earth orbit from components delivered by separate launch vehicles. The 7K spacecraft would carry the crew, while the 9K propulsion stage would be fueled by 11K tankers. The 7K crew vehicle was to be equipped with the S5.35 propulsion system, while S5.36 and S3.37 engines would propel the 9K and 11K vehicles.
This plan was later abandoned
in favor of a two-launch and, later, one-launch scenario of the circumlunar mission.
For the expedition
to the lunar surface, Korolev's bureau adopted the plan similar to one
used in the Apollo program: a mother spacecraft and a lander would separate
in the lunar orbit and the lander would deliver an "expedition"
to the surface. The lander would then blast off from the Moon, enter lunar
orbit, where it would meet and dock with the mother spacecraft. In this
plan, a two-seat Soyuz would play a role of the "mother ship."
An "abbreviated"
version of the Soyuz spacecraft, designated L1, was developed for the
circumlunar flight onboard the Proton rocket. Commonly known as Zond,
the L1 spacecraft was essentially Soyuz, where its habitation module was
replaced with a smaller instrumentation package.
One more
variation of Soyuz was also under development in the mid-1960 specifically
for the missions in Earth orbit. Designated 7K-OK, it would be used for
"rehearsals" of rendezvous operations necessary
for the lunar expedition.
The early
flights
In the competitive
atmosphere of the Moon Race, the first test flights of the Soyuz were hastily
conducted in 1966 with mixed results. Despite earlier problems, Vladimir
Komarov blasted off onboard Soyuz-1 on April 23, 1967, for an ambitious
mission, calling for orbital rendezvous and docking with the second Soyuz
scheduled to follow Soyuz-1. The problems onboard Soyuz-1 forced to cancel
the second mission, while Soyuz-1 flight itself ended in a disaster during
landing. The problems with the parachute deployment caused the Soyuz-1
reentry capsule hit the ground with a crashing speed, killing Komarov.
In the wake
of the catastrophe, a series of unmanned missions followed, during which
two pairs of vehicles docked in orbit automatically. The manned missions
resumed in October 1968.
The Soyuz
for the station
As financial
and technical problems held the USSR behind the US in the Moon Race, the
leaders of the Soviet space industry had to look for a new direction in
the manned space program. Since the end of 1960, the new version of the
Soyuz spacecraft emerged, which would transport the crews to the Earth-orbiting
space laboratories. In 1971, a three-seat Soyuz delivered the first crew to
the original Salyut space station. But a new disaster
hit when the first Salyut crew returned from orbit. The sudden depressurization
of the reentry capsule killed three cosmonauts onboard. As a result of
the tragedy, the designers introduced a protective pressure suits at the
expense of one crew seat. Two-seat variants of Soyuz 7K-T spacecraft then continued ferrying
crews to Salyut and Almaz space stations.
At the TsKBEM design bureau in Podlipki (later Korolev), E.P. Vyatkin was appointed the lead engineer on the Soyuz spacecraft in 1974. He was replaced by V.P. Guzenko in 1976. In the same year, Design Department No. 174, led by L.I. Dulnev, took over all the work on Soyuz. (52)
The Soyuz
T and TM versions
The Soyuz
T version of the spacecraft flew its first piloted mission in 1980, and
since 1986 the Soyuz TM modification of the spacecraft has been delivering
crews to the Mir space station. The modifications
featured multiple improvements in the design, including the introduction
of the new weight-saving computerized flight-control system and improved
emergency escape system. These upgrades allowed to increase the crew to
three, while the crewmembers could be still protected with pressure suits.
RKK Energia
also developed another version of the spacecraft, known as Soyuz TMA,
or "anthropometric," to address the issues raised during US-Russian
cooperative program. "Anthropometric" upgrades would remove
the limitations for the height of the crewmembers onboard the Soyuz and
as a result, would allow using the TMA version as a "lifeboat"
for the International Space Station. The production of the TMA spacecraft,
however, was stalled by non-payments by the Russian government to the
RKK Energia at the end of the 1990s. Ironically, NASA, which originally
ordered the upgrades also refused to pay for the development of the TMA,
until Russia insured the production of the spacecraft.
The
overview of the Soyuz variants:
| Soyuz |
7K-9K-11K |
|
OKB-1 |
An original
version of the Soyuz spacecraft for circumlunar flight involving docking
of three elements in Earth orbit |
| Soyuz |
7K |
|
OKB-1 |
Concept
of a three-seat spacecraft |
| Soyuz 7K-OK |
|
1966 |
OKB-1 |
The
Soyuz for orbital flights in Earth's orbit |
| Soyuz 7K-T |
7K-T (11F615A8) |
|
OKB-1 |
Crew-delivery vehicle for Salyut space stations |
| Soyuz 7K-T |
7K-T (11F615A9) |
|
OKB-1 |
Crew-delivery vehicle for Almaz space stations |
| Soyuz-VI |
7K-VI |
|
OKB-1 |
Soyuz-based
complex for military purposes |
| Soyuz-M |
7K-TM (11F615A12) |
|
OKB-1 |
Soyuz for the joint mission with the Apollo spacecraft |
| |
OIS |
|
KF-OKB-1 |
Orbital
Research Station under development in 1967–1970 at Kuibushev (Samara)
Branch of OKB-1 |
| Soyuz |
|
|
OKB-1 |
Soyuz
version for docking with the OIS military space station |
| Zond |
|
1967 |
TsKBEM |
Spacecraft
for circumlunar missions |
| |
|
|
TsKBEM |
Complex
for trans-lunar flight and Moon landing |
| Soyuz-T |
7K-T |
|
TsKBEM |
Station transport (Salyut-6, Salyut-7, Mir) |
| Soyuz-TM |
7K-STM |
|
NPO Energia |
Station transport (Mir, ISS) |
| Soyuz-TMA |
7K-STMA |
|
RKK Energia |
Station transport (ISS) |
| Soyuz TMA-M |
|
|
RKK Energia |
Station transport (ISS) |
| Soyuz-MS |
|
2016 July 7 |
RKK Energia |
Station transport (ISS). Upgraded systems: Kurs-NA rendezvous system | Power supply system | EKTS satellite communications system | Propulsion system | SZI-M "Black box" |
SOYUZ MISSION DETAILS:
Moon Race era (1966-1970): Soyuz-1 - Soyuz-9
Soyuz 7K-OK series:
Salyut era (1971-1985): Soyuz-10 - Soyuz T-14
Mir era (1986-2000): Soyuz T-15 - Soyuz TM-30
International Space Station era (2000-present): from Soyuz TM-31
Soyuz TMA series:
- Soyuz TMA-1 (A Russo-Belgian commercial mission)
- Soyuz TMA-2 (The 7th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-3 (The 8th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-4 (The 9th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-5 (The 10th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-6 (The 11th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-7 (The 12th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-8 (The 13th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-9 (The 14th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-10 (The 15th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-11 (The 16th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-12 (The 17th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-13 (The 18th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-14 (The 19/20th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-15 (The 20/21th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-16 (The 21/22th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-17 (The 22/23th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-18 (The 23/24th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-19 (The 24/25th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
Soyuz TMA-M series:
- Soyuz TMA-01M (The 25/26th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-20 (The 26/27th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-21 (The 27/28th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-02M (The 27/28th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-22 (The 29/30th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-03M (The 30/31st long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-04M (The 31/32nd long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-05M (The 32/33rd long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-06M (The 33/34th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-07M (The 34/35th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-08M (The 35/36th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-09M (The 36/37th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-10M (The 37/38th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-11M (The 38/39th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-12M (The 39/40th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-13M (The 40/41th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-14M (The 41/42nd long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-15M (The 42/43rd long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-16M (The 43rd long-duration expedition to the ISS, the "Year in Space" mission)
- Soyuz TMA-17M (The 44/45th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-18M (The 45/46th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-19M (The 46/47th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz TMA-20M (The 47/48th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
Soyuz MS series:
- Soyuz MS-01 (The 48/49th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-02 (The 49/50th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-03 (The 50/51st long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-04 (The 51/52nd long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-05 (The 52nd/53rd long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-06 (The 53rd/54th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-07 (The 54th/55th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-08 (The 55th/56th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-09 (The 56th/57th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-10 (The 57th/58th long-duration expedition to the ISS; failed to reach orbit)
- Soyuz MS-11 (The 57th/58th long-duration expedition to the ISS; second attempt)
- Soyuz MS-12 (The 59th/60th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-13 (The 60th/61st long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-14 (Automated test flight)
- Soyuz MS-15 (The 61st/62nd long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-16 (The 62nd/63rd long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-17 (The 63rd/64th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-18 (The 64th/65th/66th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-19 (The 65th/66th long-duration expedition to the ISS; visiting "movie crew")
- Soyuz MS-20 (The 20th visiting mission to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-21 (The 67th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-22 (The 68th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-23 (The replacement vehicle for the Soyuz MS-22 crew)
- Soyuz MS-24 (The 70th long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- Soyuz MS-25 (The 71st long-duration expedition to the ISS)
- NEW, Sept. 11: Soyuz MS-26 (The 72nd long-duration expedition to the ISS)
PROPOSALS FOR RADICAL SOYUZ UPGRADES:
The ACTS project
Orbital tug
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