.jpg) Soyuz MS-20 approaching the ISS | |||
| Manufacturer | Energia | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Country of origin | Russia | ||
| Operator | Roscosmos | ||
| Specifications | |||
| Spacecraft type | Human spaceflight | ||
| Launch mass | 7,290 kg (16,070 lb) | ||
| Payload capacity |
| ||
| Crew capacity | 3 | ||
| Volume |
| ||
| Batteries | 755Ah | ||
| Regime | Low Earth orbit | ||
| Design life | 240 days when docked to theInternational Space Station (ISS) | ||
| Dimensions | |||
| Solar array span | 10.7 m (35 ft) | ||
| Width | 2.72 m (8 ft 11 in) | ||
| Production | |||
| Status | Active | ||
| On order | 3 | ||
| Built | 26 | ||
| Launched | 27 (as of 8 April 2025) | ||
| Operational | 1 (MS-27) | ||
| Retired | 24 | ||
| Failed | 1 (MS-10) | ||
| Maiden launch | 7 July 2016 (MS-01) | ||
| Last launch | Active | ||
| Related spacecraft | |||
| Derived from | Soyuz TMA-M | ||
| Flown with | Soyuz FG (2016–2019) Soyuz 2.1a (2020–) | ||
| |||
TheSoyuz MS (Russian:Союз МС;GRAU: 11F732A48) is the latest version of the RussianSoyuz spacecraft series, first launched in 2016. The "MS" stands for "modernized systems," referring to improvements in navigation, communications, and onboard systems over theSoyuz TMA-M series. Developed and manufactured byEnergia, it is operated byRoscosmos forhuman spaceflight missions to theInternational Space Station (ISS).
Soyuz MS-01, the first flight of the series, launched on 7 July 2016 and docked with the ISS two days later following a checkout phase to validate the new systems. The mission lasted 113 days, concluding with a landing on theKazakh Steppe on 30 October 2016.
The Soyuz MS spacecraft has been involved in one in-flight abort. During the launch ofSoyuz MS-10 in October 2018, a booster separation failure on theSoyuz-FG launch vehicle triggered the automatedlaunch escape system. The spacecraft separated from the rocket and returned the crew safely to Earth under parachutes. The crew landed unharmed. Since April 2020, the spacecraft has been launched using the modernizedSoyuz 2.1a rocket.
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Like earlier versions of the Soyuz, the MS spacecraft variant consists of three sections (from forward to aft in orbit, or top to bottom when mounted on a rocket):
The orbital and descent modules are pressurized and habitable. By relocating much of the equipment and usable volume to the orbital module—which does not require heat shielding foratmospheric re-entry—the three-part Soyuz design is both larger and lighter than comparable two-part spacecraft. For comparison, theApollo spacecraft's pressurizedcommand module provided a crew of three with six cubic metres (210 cu ft) of living space and had a re-entry mass of approximately 5,000 kilograms (11,000 lb), while the Soyuz MS offers the same crew ten cubic metres (350 cu ft) of living space with a re-entry module mass of about 2,950 kilograms (6,500 lb).
The Soyuz MS can carry up to threecrew members and supports free-flight missions lasting approximately 30 person-days. Its life support system provides a nitrogen–oxygen atmosphere similar to that of Earth, with air pressure equivalent to sea level. Oxygen is regenerated usingpotassium superoxide (KO2) canisters, which absorb most of thecarbon dioxide (CO2) andwater exhaled by the crew and release oxygen.Lithium hydroxide (LiOH) canisters are also used to absorb residual CO2.
In addition to the crew, Soyuz MS can carry up to 200 kilograms (440 lb) of payload to orbit and return up to 65 kilograms (143 lb) to Earth.[1]
The spacecraft is protected during launch by anose fairing with a launch escape system, which is jettisoned once the vehicle exits the dense layers of the atmosphere. Soyuz MS is highly automated; itsKurs system enables automatic rendezvous and docking with the ISS. Manual control is possible in the event of system failure.
The forward-most section of the spacecraft is the orbital module (Russian:Бытовой отсек (БО),romanized: Bitovoy Otsek (BO), or habitation module). It provides more living space than the descent module and includes a toilet.
It has three hatches: a forward hatch fordocking with the ISS, a side hatch for crew ingress and egress during ground operations, and an aft hatch connecting to the descent module. In principle, the side hatch could be used forspacewalks by sealing the other hatches and using the module as anairlock, although this capability has never been used on the MS variant due to the availability of larger dedicated airlocks on the ISS.
In microgravity, the orbital module's conceptual orientation differs from that of the reentry module, with crew members positioned with their heads toward the forward docking port. A small forward-facing window allows the flight engineer to visually assist the commander—who pilots the spacecraft from the reentry module—during manual docking if the automated system fails.
The module can accommodate over 100 kilograms (220 lb) of cargo at launch and is typically filled with up to 170 kilograms (370 lb) of waste before being jettisoned prior to re-entry where it will burn up in the atmosphere.
The orbital module can be customized for specific mission requirements without affecting thesafety-critical systems of the descent module. Compared to earlier Soyuz versions, it incorporates additional anti-meteoroid shielding.[2]
The central section is the descent module (Russian:Спускаемый аппарат (СА),romanized: Spuskaemiy Apparat (SA)), which houses the crew during launch and return. Duringre-entry it is shielded by aheat-resistant covering and slowed using atmospheric drag and parachutes. At one metre (3 ft 3 in) above ground, solid-fuel landing engines behind the heat shield fire to cushion the final impact.
The reentry module is designed for high volumetric efficiency (internal volume relative to hull surface area). A spherical shape would be optimal but offers no lift, resulting in a fullyballistic reentry, which is difficult to steer and subjects the crew to high g-forces. Instead, the Soyuz uses a compromise "headlight" shape: a hemispherical forward section, a shallow conical midsection, and a spherical heat shield, allowing limited lift and steering. The nickname derives from the resemblance to earlysealed beam automotive headlights.
The aft section is the instrumentation/propulsion module (Russian:Приборно-Агрегатный Отсек [ПАО],romanized: Priborniy-Agregatniy Otsek [PAO]), also referred to as the service module or aggregate compartment. It consists of three parts: the instrumentation compartment (Russian:Приборно Отсек [ПО],romanized: Priborniy Otsek [PO]), the instrumentation compartment (Russian:Приборно Отсек [ПО],romanized: Priborniy Otsek [PO]), and the propulsion compartment (Russian:Агрегатный Отсек [АО],romanized: Agregatniy Otsek [AO]).
The instrumentation compartment is a pressurized container housing systems for power generation, thermal control, communications, telemetry, and attitude control. The propulsion compartment contains the main and backup liquid-fueled engines for orbital maneuvers and deorbiting. Low-thrust attitude control thrusters are mounted on the intermediate compartment. Solar panels and orientation sensors are mounted externally on the service module.
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The Soyuz spacecraft initiates its return to Earth with a deorbit burn approximately half an orbit, or 180 degrees, ahead of the designated landing site. The spacecraft is oriented tail-first, and the main engine fires for about five minutes to reduce velocity and lower the orbit. This maneuver typically takes place as the vehicle passes over the southern tip of South America at an altitude of about 422 kilometres (262 mi).[3]
About 30 minutes after the deorbit burn, as the spacecraft passes over the Arabian Peninsula at an altitude of roughly 140 kilometres (87 mi), the three modules separate. Only the descent module, which carries the crew, is designed to survive reentry; the orbital and service modules burn up in the atmosphere. To ensure successful separation under all circumstances, the spacecraft uses a four-tiered backup system: two automated commands, a manual override, and an emergency thermal sensor triggered by rising reentry temperatures.[3]
The descent module reenters the atmosphere at an angle of approximately 1.35°, generating some aerodynamic lift to reduce g-forces compared to a purely ballistic trajectory. In the event of flight control or attitude system failure, the capsule can revert to a ballistic descent, and crews are trained to withstand the higher loads associated with it.[3]
At around 100 kilometres (62 mi) altitude, atmospheric drag rapidly decelerates the spacecraft, and reentry heating causes the ablative outer layers of the shield to burn away. Plasma forms around the capsule, temporarily interrupting communications with ground stations. The onboard flight control system can adjust the capsule’s roll to fine-tune its trajectory.[3]
Parachute deployment begins at about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) altitude. Twopilot chutes deploy first, followed by adrogue chute that slows the spacecraft from 230 to 80 metres per second (830 to 290 km/h; 510 to 180 mph), followed by themain parachute which further reduces the descent rate to 7.2 metres per second (26 km/h; 16 mph). At approximately 5.8 kilometres (3.6 mi) altitude, the heat shield is jettisoned, exposing the soft-landing engines, an altimeter, and a beacon light. Cabin pressure is gradually equalized with the outside atmosphere.[3]
At an altitude of about one metre (3 ft 3 in), the altimeter triggers the solid-fuel braking engines, reducing impact speed to under 2 metres per second (7.2 km/h; 4.5 mph). Each seat is equipped withshock absorbers and a liner custom molded to each crew member's body shape to cushion the final impact.[4] In the rare case of a landing under a backup parachute, descent speeds may reach 10.5 metres per second (38 km/h; 23 mph), but the descent module and seating systems are designed to remain survivable.[3]
After touchdown, the main parachute is released to prevent the capsule from being dragged by the wind. The module may land upright or on its side. Recovery beacons and transmitters activate automatically. If needed, the crew can manually deploy additional antennas. The spacecraft's autonomous navigation system (ASN-K) also transmits real-time position data via satellite to assist search and rescue operations.[3]
Soyuz landings are conducted in flat, open areas without major obstacles. Thirteen designated landing zones in Kazakhstan meet these criteria. Mission planners typically schedule landings during the spacecraft’s first or second orbit of the day, as it moves from south to north. Most landings occur at twilight, allowing recovery teams to visually track the brightly lit capsule against the darkening sky. Since Soyuz began servicing the ISS, only a few missions have landed at night.[5]
If the capsule lands in remote terrain far from the recovery teams, the crew has access to a portable survival kit. This includes cold-weather clothing, a medical kit, a strobe light, a handheld radio, a signal mirror, matches and firestarter, a fishing kit, and a semi-automatic pistol—intended for protection against wildlife such as wolves or bears.[6]
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The Soyuz MS includes a number of upgrades over the earlierSoyuz TMA-M variant:[7][8][9][10]
| Mission | Launch Vehicle | Crew | Notes | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launch | Landing | ||||
| Completed | |||||
| Soyuz MS-01 | Soyuz-FG | Anatoli Ivanishin Takuya Onishi Kathleen Rubins | DeliveredExpedition 48/49 crew to ISS. Originally scheduled to ferry the ISS-47/48 crew to ISS, although switched withSoyuz TMA-20M due to delays.[20] | 115 days | |
| Soyuz MS-02 | Soyuz-FG | Sergey Ryzhikov Andrey Borisenko Shane Kimbrough | DeliveredExpedition 49/50 crew to ISS.Soyuz MS-02 marked the final Soyuz to carry two Russian crew members untilSoyuz MS-16 due toRoscosmos deciding to reduce the Russian crew on the ISS. | 173 days | |
| Soyuz MS-03 | Soyuz-FG | Oleg Novitsky Thomas Pesquet Peggy Whitson | Oleg Novitsky Thomas Pesquet | DeliveredExpedition 50/51 crew to ISS. Whitson landed onSoyuz MS-04 following 289 days in space, breaking the record for the longest single spaceflight for a woman. | 196 days |
| Soyuz MS-04 | Soyuz-FG | Fyodor Yurchikhin Jack D. Fischer | Fyodor Yurchikhin Jack D. Fischer Peggy Whitson | DeliveredExpedition 51/52 crew to ISS. Crew was reduced to two following a Russian decision to reduce the number of crew members on theRussian Orbital Segment. | 136 days |
| Soyuz MS-05 | Soyuz-FG | Sergey Ryazansky Randolph Bresnik Paolo Nespoli | DeliveredExpedition 52/53 crew to ISS. Nespoli became the firstEuropean astronaut to fly two ISS long-duration flights and took the record for the second longest amount of time in space for a European. | 139 days | |
| Soyuz MS-06 | Soyuz-FG | Alexander Misurkin Mark T. Vande Hei Joseph M. Acaba | DeliveredExpedition 53/54 crew to ISS. Misurkin and Vande Hei were originally assigned toSoyuz MS-04, although they were pushed back due a change in the ISS flight program, Acaba was added by NASA later. | 168 days | |
| Soyuz MS-07 | Soyuz-FG | Anton Shkaplerov Scott D. Tingle Norishige Kanai | DeliveredExpedition 54/55 crew to ISS. The launch was advanced forward in order to avoid it happening during theChristmas holidays, meaning the older two-day rendezvous scheme was needed.[21] | 168 days | |
| Soyuz MS-08 | Soyuz-FG | Oleg Artemyev Andrew J. Feustel Richard R. Arnold | DeliveredExpedition 55/56 crew to ISS. | 198 days | |
| Soyuz MS-09 | Soyuz-FG | Sergey Prokopyev Alexander Gerst Serena Auñón-Chancellor | DeliveredExpedition 56/57 crew to ISS. In August 2018, a hole was detected in the spacecraft's orbital module. Two cosmonauts did a spacewalk later in the year to inspect it. | 197 days | |
| Soyuz MS-10 | Soyuz-FG | Aleksey Ovchinin Nick Hague | Intended to deliverExpedition 57/58 crew to ISS, flight aborted. Both crew members were reassigned toSoyuz MS-12 and flew six months later on 14 March 2019. | 19 minutes, 41 seconds | |
| Soyuz MS-11 | Soyuz-FG | Oleg Kononenko David Saint-Jacques Anne McClain | DeliveredExpedition 58/59 crew to ISS, launch was advanced followingSoyuz MS-10 in order to avoid de-crewing the ISS. | 204 days | |
| Soyuz MS-12 | Soyuz-FG | Aleksey Ovchinin Nick Hague Christina Koch | Aleksey Ovchinin Nick Hague Hazza Al Mansouri | DeliveredExpedition 59/60 crew to ISS. Koch landed onSoyuz MS-13 and spent 328 days in space. Her seat was occupied byHazza Al Mansouri for landing. | 203 days |
| Soyuz MS-13 | Soyuz-FG | Aleksandr Skvortsov Luca Parmitano Andrew R. Morgan | Aleksandr Skvortsov Luca Parmitano Christina Koch | DeliveredExpedition 60/61 crew to ISS. Morgan landed onSoyuz MS-15 following 272 days in space. Christina Koch returned in his seat. Her flight broke Peggy Whitson's record for the longest female spaceflight. | 201 days |
| Soyuz MS-14 | Soyuz-2.1a | Uncrewed | Uncrewed test flight to validate Soyuz for use onSoyuz 2.1a rocket. The first docking attempt was aborted due to an issue onPoisk. Three days later, the spacecraft successfully docked toZvezda. After remaining docked for nearly 11 days the spacecraft undocked and the descent module successfully landed back on Earth. | 15 days | |
| Soyuz MS-15 | Soyuz-FG | Oleg Skripochka Jessica Meir Hazza Al Mansouri | Oleg Skripochka Jessica Meir Andrew R. Morgan | DeliveredExpedition 61/62/EP-19 crew to ISS. Al Mansouri became the first person from theUAE to fly in space. He landed onSoyuz MS-12 after eight days in space as part of Visiting Expedition 19. | 205 days |
| Soyuz MS-16 | Soyuz-2.1a | Anatoli Ivanishin Ivan Vagner Christopher Cassidy | DeliveredExpedition 62/63 crew to ISS. Nikolai Tikhonov and Andrei Babkin were originally assigned to the flight, although they were pushed back and replaced by Ivanishin and Vagner due to medical issues. | 196 days | |
| Soyuz MS-17 | Soyuz-2.1a | Sergey Ryzhikov Sergey Kud-Sverchkov Kathleen Rubins | DeliveredExpedition 63/64 crew to ISS. Marked the first crewed use of the ultra-fast three-hourrendezvous with the ISS previously tested withProgress spacecraft.[22] | 185 days | |
| Soyuz MS-18 | Soyuz-2.1a | Oleg Novitsky Pyotr Dubrov Mark T. Vande Hei | Oleg Novitsky Klim Shipenko Yulia Peresild | DeliveredExpedition 64/65 crew to the ISS. Dubrov and Vande Hei were transferred toExpedition 66 for a year mission and returned to Earth onSoyuz MS-19 withAnton Shkaplerov after 355 days in space. | 191 days |
| Soyuz MS-19 | Soyuz-2.1a | Anton Shkaplerov Klim Shipenko Yulia Peresild | Anton Shkaplerov Pyotr Dubrov Mark T. Vande Hei | Delivered one Russian cosmonaut forExpedition 65/66 and twospaceflight participants for a movie project calledThe Challenge. The two spaceflight participants returned to Earth onSoyuz MS-18 withOleg Novitsky after eleven days in space. | 176 days |
| Soyuz MS-20 | Soyuz-2.1a | Alexander Misurkin Yusaku Maezawa Yozo Hirano | Delivered one Russian cosmonaut and twoSpace Adventures tourists to the ISS for EP-20. The crew returned to Earth after twelve days in space as part of Visiting Expedition 20. | 12 days | |
| Soyuz MS-21 | Soyuz-2.1a | Oleg Artemyev Denis Matveev Sergey Korsakov | Delivered three Russian cosmonauts forExpedition 66/67 crew to ISS. | 194 days | |
| Soyuz MS-22 | Soyuz-2.1a | Sergey Prokopyev Dmitry Petelin Francisco Rubio | Uncrewed | DeliveredExpedition 67/68 crew to ISS. All three crew members were transferred toExpedition 69 for a year mission due to a coolant leak and returned to Earth onSoyuz MS-23 after 371 days in space. | 187 days |
| Soyuz MS-23 | Soyuz-2.1a | Uncrewed | Sergey Prokopyev Dmitry Petelin Francisco Rubio | Uncrewed flight to replace the damagedSoyuz MS-22, which returned to Earth uncrewed due to a coolant leak.[23] | 215 days |
| Soyuz MS-24 | Soyuz-2.1a | Oleg Kononenko Nikolai Chub Loral O'Hara | Oleg Novitsky Maryna Vasileuskaya Loral O'Hara | All three crew members were originally planned to fly onSoyuz MS-23, but they were pushed back due to a coolant leak onSoyuz MS-22 that required MS-23 to be launched uncrewed as its replacement.[23] DeliveredExpedition 69/70 crew to ISS. Kononenko and Chub were transferred toExpedition 71 for a year mission and returned to Earth onSoyuz MS-25 withTracy Caldwell Dyson after 374 days in space. | 204 days |
| Soyuz MS-25 | Soyuz-2.1a | Oleg Novitsky Maryna Vasileuskaya Tracy Caldwell Dyson | Oleg Kononenko Nikolai Chub Tracy Caldwell Dyson | DeliveredExpedition 70/71/EP-21 crew to ISS. Novitsky and Vasilevskaya returned to Earth onSoyuz MS-24 withLoral O'Hara after thirteen days in space as part of Visiting Expedition 21. | 184 days |
| Soyuz MS-26 | Soyuz-2.1a | Aleksey Ovchinin Ivan Vagner Donald Pettit | DeliveredExpedition 71/72 crew to ISS. | 220 days | |
| In progress | |||||
| Soyuz MS-27 | Soyuz-2.1a | Sergey Ryzhikov Alexey Zubritsky Jonny Kim | DeliveredExpedition 72/73 crew to ISS. | ~240 days (planned) | |
| Soyuz MS-28 | Soyuz-2.1a | Sergey Kud-Sverchkov Sergey Mikayev Christopher Williams | Planned to rotate future ISS crew. Will deliverExpedition 73/74 crew to ISS. | ~240 days (planned) | |
| Planned | |||||
| Soyuz MS-29 | Soyuz-2.1a | Pyotr Dubrov Anna Kikina Anil Menon | Planned to rotate future ISS crew. Will deliver Expedition 74/75 crew to ISS. | ~240 days (planned) | |
| Soyuz MS-30 | Soyuz-2.1a | Dmitry Petelin Konstantin Borisov TBA | Planned to rotate future ISS crew. Will deliver Expedition 75/76 crew to ISS. | ~240 days (planned) | |
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain.
| Main topics |  | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Past missions (by spacecraft type) |
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| Current missions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Future missions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Uncrewed missions are designated asKosmos instead ofSoyuz; exceptions are noted "(uncrewed)". The † sign designates failed missions.Italics designates cancelled missions. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Early programme | | |
|---|---|---|
| 7K series | ||
| Later series | ||
| Progress | ||
| Other derivatives | ||
