Soyuz

Any of several versions of Soviet/Russian manned spacecraft launched since 1967. Originally conceived for the U.S.S.R.’s Moon-landing program, which was canceled in 1974, the modular craft 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 first version accommodated three persons but was later modified for a crew of two to make room for additional life-support equipment. Soyuz T, introduced in 1979, restored the third crew seat. Soyuz TM, an upgrade featuring a variety of new systems, made its first manned flight in 1987 when it carried Mir’s second crew to the then-embryonic station. The Soyuz TMA debuted in 2002 with a manned flight to the ISS; its design incorporated changes to meet certain NASA requirements as an ISS “lifeboat,” including eased height and weight restrictions for crew members.

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