100-589: Soyuz MS-15 was a Soyuz spaceflight launched on 25 September 2019, transporting two members of the Expedition 61 crew and a short duration visiting crew member to the International Space Station . Soyuz MS-15 was the 143rd flight of a Soyuz spacecraft with a crew. It was the last flight of Soyuz-FG launcher before its replacement by the Soyuz-2 in the crewed spaceflight role, and also
200-426: A fairing with a launch escape system during liftoff. The first Soyuz mission, Kosmos 133 , launched unmanned on 28 November 1966. The first crewed Soyuz mission, Soyuz 1 , launched on 23 April 1967 but ended tragically on 24 April 1967 when the parachute failed to deploy on reentry, killing cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov . The following flight, Soyuz 2 was uncrewed. Soyuz 3 launched on 26 October 1968 and became
300-415: A cabin that housed the crew and carried equipment needed for atmospheric reentry and splashdown ; and the cylindrical service module which provided propulsion, electrical power and storage for various consumables required during a mission. An umbilical connection transferred power and consumables between the two modules. Just before reentry of the command module on the return home, the umbilical connection
400-515: A flashing rendezvous beacon visible from 54 nautical miles (100 km) away as a navigation aid for rendezvous with the LM. The SM was connected to the CM using three tension ties and six compression pads. The tension ties were stainless steel straps bolted to the CM's aft heat shield. It remained attached to the command module throughout most of the mission, until being jettisoned just prior to re-entry into
500-498: A large pressurized auxiliary orbital module where the crew would live and work for weeks at a time. They would perform space station-type activities in the module, while later versions would use the module to carry cargo to space stations. The spacecraft was to service the Project Olympus (LORL), a foldable rotating space station launched on a single Saturn V . Later versions would be used on circumlunar flights, and would be
600-589: A legacy built upon its unparalleled operational history. The spacecraft has served as the primary mode of transport for cosmonauts to and from the Salyut space stations , the Mir space station, and International Space Station (ISS). Soyuz spacecraft are composed of three primary sections (from top to bottom, when standing on the launch pad): The orbital and service modules are discarded and destroyed upon reentry . This design choice, while seemingly wasteful, reduces
700-480: A pore seal, a moisture barrier (a white reflective coating), and a silver Mylar thermal coating that looks like aluminum foil. The heat shield varied in thickness from 2 inches (5.1 cm) in the aft portion (the base of the capsule, which faced forward during reentry) to 0.5 inches (1.3 cm) in the crew compartment and forward portions. The Total weight of the shield was about 3,000 pounds (1,400 kg). The 1-foot-11-inch (0.58 m)-tall forward compartment
800-504: A pressurized container shaped like a bulging can (instrumentation compartment, priborniy otsek ) that contains systems for temperature control, electric power supply, long-range radio communications , radio telemetry , and instruments for orientation and control. A non-pressurized part of the service module (propulsion compartment, agregatniy otsek ) contains the main engine and a liquid-fuelled propulsion system , using N 2 O 4 and UDMH , for maneuvering in orbit and initiating
900-464: A revised Igla rendezvous system and new translation/attitude thruster system on the Service module. It could carry a crew of three, now wearing spacesuits. The Soyuz-TM crew transports (M: Russian : модифицированный , romanized : modifitsirovannyi , lit. 'modified') were fourth generation Soyuz spacecraft, and were used from 1986 to 2002 for ferry flights to Mir and
1000-425: A small window was introduced, providing the crew with a forward view. A hatch between it and the descent module can be closed so as to isolate it to act as an airlock if needed so that crew members could also exit through its side port (near the descent module). On the launch pad, the crew enter the spacecraft through this port. This separation also lets the orbital module be customized to the mission with less risk to
1100-402: A so-called 'soft dock' state and enabled the pitch and yaw movements in the two vehicles to subside. Excess movement in the vehicles during the 'hard dock' process could cause damage to the docking ring and put stress on the upper tunnel. A depressed locking trigger link at each latch allowed a spring-loaded spool to move forward, maintaining the toggle linkage in an over-center locked position. In
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#17327800909241200-439: A strap-on booster, low engine thrust, loss of combustion-chamber pressure, or loss of booster guidance. The spacecraft abort system (SAS; Russian : Система Аварийного Спасения , romanized : Sistema Avarijnogo Spaseniya ) could also be manually activated from the ground, but unlike American spacecraft, there was no way for the cosmonauts to trigger it themselves. Since it turned out to be almost impossible to separate
1300-524: A two-man craft Soyuz 7K would rendezvous with other components (9K and 11K) in Earth orbit to assemble a lunar excursion vehicle, the components being delivered by the proven R-7 rocket . The crewed Soyuz spacecraft can be classified into design generations. Soyuz 1 through Soyuz 11 (1967–1971) were first-generation vehicles, carrying a crew of up to three without spacesuits and distinguished from those following by their bent solar panels and their use of
1400-448: Is a part of the reentry module, and the orbital module therefore depressurizes after separation. Reentry firing is usually done on the "dawn" side of the Earth, so that the spacecraft can be seen by recovery helicopters as it descends in the evening twilight, illuminated by the Sun when it is above the shadow of the Earth. The Soyuz craft is designed to come down on land, usually somewhere in
1500-738: Is a series of spacecraft which has been in service since the 1960s, having made more than 140 flights. It was designed for the Soviet space program by the Korolev Design Bureau (now Energia ). The Soyuz succeeded the Voskhod spacecraft and was originally built as part of the Soviet crewed lunar programs . It is launched atop the similarly named Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan . Following
1600-406: 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
1700-411: Is also the first expendable vehicle to feature a digital control technology. Soyuz-TMA looks identical to a Soyuz-TM spacecraft on the outside, but interior differences allow it to accommodate taller occupants with new adjustable crew couches. The Soyuz TMA-M was an upgrade of the baseline Soyuz-TMA, using a new computer, digital interior displays, updated docking equipment, and the vehicle's total mass
1800-419: Is jettisoned early in flight. Equipped with an automated docking system, the spacecraft can operate autonomously or under manual control. The Vostok spacecraft used an ejector seat to bail out the cosmonaut in the event of a low-altitude launch failure, as well as during reentry; however, it would probably have been ineffective in the first 20 seconds after liftoff, when the altitude would be too low for
1900-441: The g -force experienced by the astronauts, permitted a reasonable amount of directional control and allowed the capsule's splashdown point to be targeted within a few miles. At 24,000 feet (7,300 m), the forward heat shield was jettisoned using four pressurized-gas compression springs. The drogue parachutes were then deployed, slowing the spacecraft to 125 miles per hour (201 kilometres per hour). At 10,700 feet (3,300 m)
2000-515: The Aerojet-General company to start developing the engine, resulting in a thrust level twice what was needed to accomplish the lunar orbit rendezvous (LOR) mission mode officially chosen in July of that year. The engine was actually used for mid-course corrections between the Earth and Moon, and to place the spacecraft into and out of lunar orbit. It also served as a retrorocket to perform
2100-659: The Igla automatic docking navigation system, which required special radar antennas. This first generation encompassed the original Soyuz 7K-OK and the Soyuz 7K-OKS for docking with the Salyut 1 space station. The probe and drogue docking system permitted internal transfer of cosmonauts from the Soyuz to the station. The Soyuz 7K-L1 was designed to launch a crew from the Earth to circle
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#17327800909242200-412: The International Space Station (ISS). Soyuz TMA (A: Russian : антропометрический , romanized : antropometricheskii , lit. ' anthropometric ') features several changes to accommodate requirements requested by NASA in order to service the International Space Station (ISS), including more latitude in the height and weight of the crew and improved parachute systems. It
2300-536: The Moon , and was the primary hope for a Soviet circumlunar flight. It had several test flights in the Zond program from 1967–1970 ( Zond 4 to Zond 8 ), which produced multiple failures in the 7K-L1's reentry systems. The remaining 7K-L1s were scrapped. The Soyuz 7K-L3 was designed and developed in parallel to the Soyuz 7K-L1, but was also scrapped. Soyuz 1 was plagued with technical issues, and cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov
2400-466: The fuel cell gauges and controls, the electrical and battery controls, and the communications controls. Flanking the sides of the main panel were sets of smaller control panels. On the left side were a circuit breaker panel, audio controls, and the SCS power controls. On the right were additional circuit breakers and a redundant audio control panel, along with the environmental control switches. In total,
2500-452: The transposition, docking, and extraction maneuver at the beginning of the translunar coast. The docking mechanism was a non-androgynous system, consisting of a probe located in the nose of the CSM, which connected to the drogue , a truncated cone located on the lunar module. The probe was extended like a scissor jack to capture the drogue on initial contact, known as soft docking . Then
2600-619: The Apollo 204 Review Board, it was decided to terminate the crewed Block I phase and redefine Block II to incorporate the review board's recommendations . Block II incorporated a revised CM heat shield design, which was tested on the uncrewed Apollo 4 and Apollo 6 flights, so the first all-up Block II spacecraft flew on the first crewed mission, Apollo 7 . The two blocks were essentially similar in overall dimensions, but several design improvements resulted in weight reduction in Block II. Also,
2700-644: The Block I service module propellant tanks were slightly larger than in Block II. The Apollo 1 spacecraft weighed approximately 45,000 pounds (20,000 kg), while the Block II Apollo 7 weighed 36,400 lb (16,500 kg). (These two Earth orbital craft were lighter than the craft which later went to the Moon, as they carried propellant in only one set of tanks, and did not carry the high-gain S-band antenna.) In
2800-521: The CM and faster break-up on re-entry. The service propulsion system ( SPS ) engine was originally designed to lift the CSM off the surface of the Moon in the direct ascent mission mode, The engine selected was the AJ10-137 , which used Aerozine 50 as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (N 2 O 4 ) as oxidizer to produce 20,500 lbf (91 kN) of thrust. A contract was signed in April 1962 for
2900-472: The CM reaction control subsystem; water tanks; the crushable ribs of the impact attenuation system; and a number of instruments. The CM-SM umbilical, the point where wiring and plumbing ran from one module to the other, was also in the aft compartment. The panels of the heat shield covering the aft compartment were removable for maintenance of the equipment before flight. The components of the ELS were housed around
3000-533: The CSM umbilical cables . The command module was built in North American's factory in Downey, California , and consisted of two basic structures joined together: the inner structure (pressure shell) and the outer structure. The inner structure was an aluminum sandwich construction consisting of a welded aluminum inner skin, adhesively bonded aluminum honeycomb core, and outer face sheet. The thickness of
3100-506: The Earth's atmosphere. At jettison, the CM umbilical connections were cut using a pyrotechnic-activated guillotine assembly. Following jettison, the SM aft translation thrusters automatically fired continuously to distance it from the CM, until either the RCS fuel or the fuel cell power was depleted. The roll thrusters were also fired for five seconds to make sure it followed a different trajectory from
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3200-793: The Soviet Union's dissolution, Roscosmos , the Russian space agency, continued to develop and utilize the Soyuz. Between the Space Shuttle's 2011 retirement and the SpaceX Crew Dragon '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 Shenzhou and Russia's Progress cargo vehicle. The Soyuz
3300-666: The Soyuz spacecraft. Its maiden flight was in July 2016 with mission Soyuz MS-01 . Major changes include: The uncrewed Progress spacecraft are derived from Soyuz and are used for servicing space stations. While not being direct derivatives of Soyuz, the Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft uses Soyuz TM technology sold in 1984 and the Indian Orbital Vehicle follows the same general layout as that pioneered by Soyuz. Apollo command and service module The Apollo command and service module ( CSM )
3400-569: The base, and a height of 11 feet 5 inches (3.48 m) including the docking probe and dish-shaped aft heat shield. The forward compartment contained two reaction control system thrusters, the docking tunnel, and the Earth Landing System. The inner pressure vessel housed the crew accommodation, equipment bays, controls and displays, and many spacecraft systems. The aft compartment contained 10 reaction control engines and their related propellant tanks, freshwater tanks, and
3500-427: The basis for a direct ascent lunar spacecraft as well as used on interplanetary missions. In late 1960, NASA called on U.S. industry to propose designs for the vehicle. On May 25, 1961 President John F. Kennedy announced the Moon landing goal before 1970, which immediately rendered NASA's Olympus Station plans obsolete. When NASA awarded the initial Apollo contract to North American Aviation on November 28, 1961, it
3600-461: The bottom consists of "21mm to 28mm thick ablator (glass-phenolic composite) which is held by brackets approximately 15mm from the 3.5mm thick aluminum AMg-6 substrate. VIM low-density silica fibrous insulation (8mm thick) is contained in the gap between the heat shield ablator and aluminum substrate." At the back of the vehicle is the service module (Russian: прибо́рно-агрега́тный отсе́к , romanized : pribórno-agregátny otsék ). It has
3700-506: The center piston. In a temperature degraded condition, a single motor release operation was done manually in the lunar module by depressing the locking spool through an open hole in the probe heads, while release from the CSM was done by rotating a release handle at the back of the probe to rotate the motor torque shaft manually. When the command and lunar modules separated for the last time, the probe and forward docking ring were pyrotechnically separated, leaving all docking equipment attached to
3800-451: The command module panels included 24 instruments, 566 switches, 40 event indicators, and 71 lights. The three crew couches were constructed from hollow steel tubing and covered in a heavy, fireproof cloth known as Armalon. The leg pans of the two outer couches could be folded in a variety of positions, while the hip pan of the center couch could be disconnected and laid on the aft bulkhead. One rotation and one translation hand controller
3900-448: The conclusion of the Apollo program and during 1973–1974, three CSMs ferried astronauts to the orbital Skylab space station. Finally in 1975, the last flown CSM docked with the Soviet craft Soyuz 19 as part of the international Apollo–Soyuz Test Project . Concepts of an advanced crewed spacecraft started before the Moon landing goal was announced. The three-person vehicle was to be mainly for orbital use around Earth. It would include
4000-466: The connection between the service and reentry modules on the latter two flights. The Soyuz uses a method similar to the 1970s-era United States Apollo command and service module to deorbit itself. The spacecraft is turned engine-forward, and the main engine is fired for deorbiting on the far side of Earth ahead of its planned landing site. This requires the least propellant for reentry ; the spacecraft travels on an elliptical Hohmann transfer orbit to
4100-460: The decision to design two versions of the CSM: Block I was to be used for uncrewed missions and a single crewed Earth orbit flight ( Apollo 1 ), while the more advanced Block II was designed for use with the lunar module. The Apollo 1 flight was cancelled after a cabin fire killed the crew and destroyed their command module during a launch rehearsal test. Corrections of the problems which caused
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4200-409: The deorbit burn for Earth orbital flights. The propellants were pressure-fed to the engine by 39.2 cubic feet (1.11 m ) of gaseous helium at 3,600 pounds per square inch (25 MPa), carried in two 40-inch (1.0 m) diameter spherical tanks. The exhaust nozzle measured 152.82 inches (3.882 m) long and 98.48 inches (2.501 m) wide at the base. It was mounted on two gimbals to keep
4300-644: The descent back to Earth . The ship also has a system of low-thrust engines for orientation, attached to the intermediate compartment ( perekhodnoi otsek ). Outside the service module are the sensors for the orientation system and the solar array, which is oriented towards the Sun by rotating the ship. An incomplete separation between the service and reentry modules led to emergency situations during Soyuz 5 , Soyuz TMA-10 and Soyuz TMA-11 , which led to an incorrect reentry orientation (crew ingress hatch first). The failure of several explosive bolts did not cut
4400-400: The descent module is covered by a heat-resistant covering to protect it during reentry ; this half faces forward during reentry. It is slowed initially by the atmosphere, then by a braking parachute, followed by the main parachute, which slows the craft for landing. At one meter above the ground, solid-fuel braking engines mounted behind the heat shield are fired to give a soft landing. One of
4500-532: The descent module led to it having only two-man crews after the death of the Soyuz ;11 crew. The later Soyuz-T spacecraft solved this issue. Internal volume of Soyuz SA is 4 m (140 cu ft); 2.5 m (88 cu ft) is usable for crew (living space). The thermal protection system on the slightly conical side walls is stood off from the structure to also provide micrometeoroid protection in orbit. The slightly curved heat shield on
4600-584: The deserts of Kazakhstan in Central Asia. This is in contrast to the early United States crewed spacecraft and the current SpaceX Crew Dragon, which splash down in the ocean. The Soyuz spacecraft has been the subject of continuous evolution since the early 1960s. Thus several different versions, proposals and projects exist. Sergei Korolev initially promoted the Soyuz A-B-V circumlunar complex ( 7K-9K-11K ) concept (also known as L1 ) in which
4700-475: The design requirements for the descent module was for it to have the highest possible volumetric efficiency (internal volume divided by hull area). The best shape for this is a sphere – as the pioneering Vostok spacecraft's descent module used – but such a shape can provide no lift, resulting in a purely ballistic reentry . Ballistic reentries are hard on the occupants due to high deceleration and cannot be steered beyond their initial deorbit burn. Thus it
4800-431: The docking collar needed to attach to Mir . The risk of not being able to separate the orbital module is effectively judged to be less than the risk of needing the facilities in it, including the toilet, following a failed deorbit. The descent module (Russian: Спуска́емый Аппара́т , romanized : spuskáyemy apparát ), also known as a reentry capsule, is used for launch and the journey back to Earth. Half of
4900-441: The drogues were jettisoned and the pilot parachutes, which pulled out the mains, were deployed. These slowed the CM to 22 miles per hour (35 kilometres per hour) for splashdown. The portion of the capsule that first contacted the water surface contained four crushable ribs to further mitigate the force of impact. The command module could safely parachute to an ocean landing with only two parachutes deployed (as occurred on Apollo 15 ),
5000-504: The entire payload shroud from the Soyuz service module cleanly, the decision was made to have the shroud split between the service module and descent module during an abort. Four folding stabilizers were added to improve aerodynamic stability during ascent. Two test runs of the SAS were carried out in 1966–1967. The basic design of the SAS has remained almost unchanged in 50 years of use, and all Soyuz launches carry it. The only modification
5100-411: The entry interface point, where atmospheric drag slows it enough to fall out of orbit. Early Soyuz spacecraft would then have the service and orbital modules detach simultaneously from the descent module. As they are connected by tubing and electrical cables to the descent module, this would aid in their separation and avoid having the descent module alter its orientation. Later Soyuz spacecraft detached
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#17327800909245200-491: The environmental control system). On the flight of Apollo 13 , the EPS was disabled by an explosive rupture of one oxygen tank, which punctured the second tank and led to the loss of all oxygen. After the accident, a third oxygen tank was added to obviate operation below 50% tank capacity. That allowed the elimination of the tank's internal stirring-fan equipment, which had contributed to the failure. Also starting with Apollo 14 ,
5300-457: The fire were applied to the Block II spacecraft, which was used for all crewed spaceflights. Nineteen CSMs were launched into space. Of these, nine flew humans to the Moon between 1968 and 1972, and another two performed crewed test flights in low Earth orbit , all as part of the Apollo program. Before these, another four CSMs had flown as uncrewed Apollo tests, of which two were suborbital flights and another two were orbital flights . Following
5400-431: The forward docking tunnel. The forward compartment was separated from the central by a bulkhead and was divided into four 90-degree wedges. The ELS consisted of two drogue parachutes with mortars , three main parachutes , three pilot parachutes to deploy the mains, three inflation bags for uprighting the capsule if necessary, a sea recovery cable, a dye marker, and a swimmer umbilical. The command module's center of mass
5500-415: The forward heat shield was jettisoned to expose the Earth landing equipment and permit deployment of the parachutes. The 1-foot-8-inch (0.51 m)-tall aft compartment was located around the periphery of the command module at its widest part, just forward of (above) the aft heat shield. The compartment was divided into 24 bays containing 10 reaction control engines; the fuel, oxidizer, and helium tanks for
5600-404: The honeycomb varied from about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) at the base to about 0.25 inches (0.64 cm) at the forward access tunnel. This inner structure was the pressurized crew compartment. The outer structure was made of stainless steel brazed-honeycomb brazed between steel alloy face sheets. It varied in thickness from 0.5 inch to 2.5 inches. Part of the area between the inner and outer shells
5700-452: The inside of an 8-by-2.75-foot (2.44 by 0.84 m) skin panel. The primary fuel (MMH) tank contained 69.1 pounds (31.3 kg); the secondary fuel tank contained 45.2 pounds (20.5 kg); the primary oxidizer tank contained 137.0 pounds (62.1 kg), and the secondary oxidizer tank contained 89.2 pounds (40.5 kg). The propellant tanks were pressurized from a single tank containing 1.35 pounds (0.61 kg) of liquid helium. Back flow
5800-479: The last launch from Site 1/5 ( Gagarin's Start ) before its modernisation to support the new Soyuz-2 rocket. The crew consisted of a Russian commander, an American flight engineer, and the first Emirati astronaut. To celebrate this event, pictures of the Soyuz launcher and of Hazza Al Mansouri were projected on Burj Khalifa , the tallest building in the world. Soyuz (spacecraft) Soyuz (Russian: Союз , IPA: [sɐˈjus] , lit. 'Union')
5900-602: The late 1980s. This guaranteed that the descent module and orbital module would be separated before the descent module was placed in a reentry trajectory. However, after the problematic landing of Soyuz TM-5 in September 1988 this procedure was changed, and the orbital module is now separated after the return maneuver. This change was made as the TM-5 crew could not deorbit for 24 hours after they jettisoned their orbital module, which contained their sanitation facilities and
6000-409: The life-critical descent module. The convention of orientation in a micro-g environment differs from that of the descent module, as crew members stand or sit with their heads to the docking port. Also the rescue of the crew whilst on the launch pad or with the SAS system is complicated because of the orbital module. Separation of the orbital module is critical for a safe landing; without separation of
6100-461: The lunar module. In the event of an abort during launch from Earth, the same system would have explosively jettisoned the docking ring and probe from the CM as it separated from the boost protective cover. The central pressure vessel of the command module was its sole habitable compartment. It had an interior volume of 210 cubic feet (5.9 m ) and housed the main control panels, crew seats, guidance and navigation systems, food and equipment lockers,
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#17327800909246200-470: The module's pressure vessel. The fused silica outer pane served as both a debris shield and as part of the heat shield. Each pane had an anti-reflective coating and a blue-red reflective coating on the inner surface. Sources: The service module was an unpressurized cylindrical structure with a diameter of 12 feet 10 inches (3.91 m) and 14 feet 10 inches (4.52 m) long. The service propulsion engine nozzle and heat shield increased
6300-433: The most efficient way to keep the program on track was to proceed with the development in two versions: By January 1964, North American started presenting Block II design details to NASA. Block I spacecraft were used for all uncrewed Saturn 1B and Saturn V test flights. Initially two crewed flights were planned, but this was reduced to one in late 1966. This mission, designated AS-204 but named Apollo 1 by its flight crew,
6400-419: The orbital module before firing the main engine, which saved propellant. Since the Soyuz TM-5 landing issue, the orbital module is once again detached only after the reentry firing, which led to (but did not cause) emergency situations of Soyuz TMA-10 and TMA-11 . The orbital module cannot remain in orbit as an addition to a space station, as the airlock hatch between the orbital and reentry modules
6500-422: The orbital module, it is not possible for the crew to survive landing in the descent module. This is because the orbital module would interfere with proper deployment of the descent module's parachutes, and the extra mass exceeds the capability of the main parachute and braking engines to provide a safe soft-landing speed. In view of this, the orbital module was separated before the ignition of the return engine until
6600-515: The parachute to deploy. Inspired by the Mercury LES, Soviet designers began work on a similar system in 1962. This included developing a complex sensing system to monitor various launch-vehicle parameters and trigger an abort if a booster malfunction occurred. Based on data from R-7 launches over the years, engineers developed a list of the most likely failure modes for the vehicle and could narrow down abort conditions to premature separation of
6700-419: The pressure between the tunnel and the CM so the hatch could be removed. The unified crew hatch (UCH) measured 29 inches (74 cm) high, 34 inches (86 cm) wide, and weighed 225 pounds (102 kg). It was operated by a pump handle, which drove a ratchet mechanism to open or close fifteen latches simultaneously. Apollo's mission required the LM to dock with the CSM on return from the Moon, and also in
6800-637: The primary flight controls, and the main FDAI (Flight Director Attitude Indicator). The CM pilot served as navigator, so his control panel (center) included the Guidance and Navigation computer controls, the caution and warning indicator panel, the event timer, the Service Propulsion System and RCS controls, and the environmental control system controls. The LM pilot served as systems engineer, so his control panel (right-hand side) included
6900-471: The probe cylinder body engaged and retained the probe center piston in the retracted position. Before vehicle separation in lunar orbit, manual cocking of the twelve ring latches was accomplished. The separating force from the internal pressure in the tunnel area was then transmitted from the ring latches to the probe and drogue. In undocking, the release of the capture latches was accomplished by electrically energizing tandem-mounted DC rotary solenoids located in
7000-412: The probe was retracted to pull the vehicles together and establish a firm connection, known as "hard docking". The mechanism was specified by NASA to have the following functions: The probe head located in the CSM was self-centering and gimbal-mounted to the probe piston. As the probe head engaged in the opening of the drogue socket, three spring-loaded latches depressed and engaged. These latches allowed
7100-500: The program's first successful crewed mission.The program suffered another fatal setback during Soyuz 11 , where cabin depressurization during reentry killed the entire crew. These are the only humans to date who are known to have died above the Kármán line , the conventional definition of the edge of space. Despite these early tragedies, Soyuz has earned a reputation as one of the safest and most cost-effective human spaceflight vehicles,
7200-488: The reaction control system (RCS) computer, power distribution block, ECS controller, separation controller, and components for the high-gain antenna, and included eight EPS radiators and the umbilical connection arm containing the main electrical and plumbing connections to the CM. The fairing externally contained a retractable forward-facing spotlight ; an EVA floodlight to aid the command module pilot in SIM film retrieval; and
7300-418: The solar panels's place. It was developed out of the military Soyuz concepts studied in previous years and was capable of carrying 2 cosmonauts with Sokol space suits (after the Soyuz 11 accident). Several models were planned, but none actually flew in space. These versions were named Soyuz P , Soyuz PPK , Soyuz R , Soyuz 7K-VI , and Soyuz OIS (Orbital Research Station). The Soyuz 7K-T/A9 version
7400-467: The spacecraft is the orbital module (Russian: бытовой отсек , romanized: bytovoi otsek ), also known as habitation section. It houses all the equipment that will not be needed for reentry, such as experiments, cameras or cargo. The module also contains a toilet, docking avionics and communications gear. Internal volume is 6 m (210 cu ft), living space is 5 m (180 cu ft). On later Soyuz versions (since Soyuz TM),
7500-520: The spacecraft's weight by minimizing the amount of heat shielding required. As a result, Soyuz offers more habitable interior space (7.5 cubic metres, 260 cubic feet) compared to its Apollo counterpart (6.3 m , 220 cu ft). While the reentry module does return to Earth, it is not reusable, a new Soyuz spacecraft must be made for every mission. Soyuz can carry up to three crew members and provide life support for about 30 person-days . A payload fairing protects Soyuz during launch and
7600-524: The specifications given below, unless otherwise noted, all weights given are for the Block II spacecraft. The total cost of the CSM for development and the units produced was $ 36.9 billion in 2016 dollars, adjusted from a nominal total of $ 3.7 billion using the NASA New Start Inflation Indices. The command module was a truncated cone ( frustum ) with a diameter of 12 feet 10 inches (3.91 m) across
7700-543: The third parachute being a safety precaution. The command module attitude control system consisted of twelve 93-pound-force (410 N) attitude control thrusters, ten of which were located in the aft compartment, plus two in the forward compartment. These were supplied by four tanks storing 270 pounds (120 kg) of monomethylhydrazine fuel and nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer, and pressurized by 1.1 pounds (0.50 kg) of helium stored at 4,150 pounds per square inch (28.6 MPa) in two tanks. The forward docking hatch
7800-787: The thrust vector aligned with the spacecraft's center of mass during SPS firings. The combustion chamber and pressurant tanks were housed in the central tunnel. Four clusters of four reaction control system (RCS) thrusters (known as "quads") were installed around the upper section of the SM every 90°. The sixteen-thruster arrangement provided rotation and translation control in all three spacecraft axes. Each R-4D thruster measured 12 inches (30 cm) long by 6 inches (15 cm) diameter, generated 100 pounds-force (440 N) of thrust, and used helium-fed monomethylhydrazine (MMH) as fuel and nitrogen tetroxide (NTO) as oxidizer. Each quad assembly measured 2.2 by 2.7 feet (0.67 by 0.82 m) and had its own fuel, oxidizer, and helium tanks mounted on
7900-575: The total height to 24 feet 7 inches (7.49 m). The interior was a simple structure consisting of a central tunnel section 44 inches (1.1 m) in diameter, surrounded by six pie-shaped sectors. The sectors were topped by a forward bulkhead and fairing, separated by six radial beams, covered on the outside by four honeycomb panels, and supported by an aft bulkhead and engine heat shield. The sectors were not all equal 60° angles, but varied according to required size. The forward fairing measured 1 foot 11 inches (58 cm) long and housed
8000-411: The upper end of the lunar module tunnel, the drogue, which was constructed of 1-inch-thick aluminum honeycomb core, bonded front and back to aluminum face sheets, was the receiving end of the probe head capture latches. After the initial capture and stabilization of the vehicles, the probe was capable of exerting a closing force of 1,000 pounds-force (4.4 kN) to draw the vehicles together. This force
8100-402: The waste management system, and the docking tunnel. Dominating the forward section of the cabin was the crescent-shaped main display panel measuring nearly 7 feet (2.1 m) wide and 3 feet (0.91 m) tall. It was arranged into three panels, each emphasizing the duties of each crew member. The mission commander's panel (left side) included the velocity , attitude, and altitude indicators,
8200-419: Was aborted after escape-tower jettison. In 1983, Soyuz T-10a's SAS successfully rescued the cosmonauts from an on-pad fire and explosion of the launch vehicle. Most recently, in 2018, the SAS sub-system in the payload shroud of Soyuz MS-10 successfully rescued the cosmonauts from a rocket failure 2 minutes and 45 seconds after liftoff, after the escape tower had already been jettisoned. The forepart of
8300-401: Was decided to go with the "headlight" shape that the Soyuz uses – a hemispherical upper area joined by a barely angled (seven degrees) conical section to a classic spherical section heat shield. This shape allows a small amount of lift to be generated due to the unequal weight distribution. The nickname was thought up at a time when nearly every headlight was circular. The small dimensions of
8400-451: Was filled with a layer of fiberglass insulation as additional heat protection. An ablative heat shield on the outside of the CM protected the capsule from the heat of reentry , which is sufficient to melt most metals. This heat shield was composed of phenolic formaldehyde resin . During reentry, this material charred and melted away, absorbing and carrying away the intense heat in the process. The heat shield has several outer coverings:
8500-451: Was generated by gas pressure acting on the center piston within the probe cylinder. Piston retraction compressed the probe and interface seals and actuated the 12 automatic ring latches which were located radially around the inner surface of the CSM docking ring. The latches were manually re-cocked in the docking tunnel by an astronaut after each hard docking event (lunar missions required two dockings). An automatic extension latch attached to
8600-521: Was in 1972, when the aerodynamic fairing over the SAS motor nozzles was removed for weight-saving reasons, as the redesigned Soyuz 7K-T spacecraft carried extra life-support equipment. The uncrewed Progress resupply ferry has a dummy escape tower and removes the stabilizer fins from the payload shroud. There have been three failed launches of a crewed Soyuz vehicle: Soyuz 18a in 1975, Soyuz T-10a in 1983 and Soyuz MS-10 in October 2018. The 1975 failure
8700-529: Was installed on the armrests of the left-hand couch. The translation controller was used by the crew member performing the transposition, docking, and extraction maneuver with the LM, usually the CM Pilot. The center and right-hand couches had duplicate rotational controllers. The couches were supported by eight shock-attenuating struts, designed to ease the impact of touchdown on water or, in case of an emergency landing, on solid ground. The contiguous cabin space
8800-646: Was killed when the spacecraft crashed during its return to Earth. This was the first in-flight fatality in the history of spaceflight . The next crewed version of the Soyuz was the Soyuz 7K-OKS . It was designed for space station flights and had a docking port that allowed internal transfer between spacecraft. The Soyuz 7K-OKS had two crewed flights, both in 1971. Soyuz 11 , the second flight, depressurized upon reentry, killing its three-man crew. The second generation, called Soyuz Ferry or Soyuz 7K-T , comprised Soyuz 12 through Soyuz 40 (1973–1981). It did not have solar arrays. Two long, skinny antennas were put in
8900-431: Was mounted at the top of the docking tunnel. It was 30 inches (76 cm) in diameter and weighed 80 pounds (36 kg), constructed from two machined rings that were weld-joined to a brazed honeycomb panel. The exterior side was covered with 0.5-inch (13 mm) of insulation and a layer of aluminum foil. It was latched in six places and operated by a pump handle. The hatch contained a valve in its center, used to equalize
9000-410: Was offset a foot or so from the center of pressure (along the symmetry axis). This provided a rotational moment during reentry, angling the capsule and providing some lift (a lift to drag ratio of about 0.368 ). The capsule was then steered by rotating the capsule using thrusters; when no steering was required, the capsule was spun slowly, and the lift effects cancelled out. This system greatly reduced
9100-617: Was one of two principal components of the United States Apollo spacecraft , used for the Apollo program , which landed astronauts on the Moon between 1969 and 1972. The CSM functioned as a mother ship , which carried a crew of three astronauts and the second Apollo spacecraft, the Apollo Lunar Module , to lunar orbit, and brought the astronauts back to Earth. It consisted of two parts: the conical command module,
9200-551: Was organized into six equipment bays: The CM had five windows. The two side windows measured 9 inches (23 cm) square next to the left and right-hand couches. Two forward-facing triangular rendezvous windows measured 8 by 9 inches (20 by 23 cm), used to aid in rendezvous and docking with the LM. The circular hatch window was 9 inches (23 cm) in diameter located directly over the center couch. Each window assembly consisted of three thick panes of glass. The inner two panes, which were made of aluminosilicate , made up part of
9300-409: Was planned for launch on February 21, 1967. During a dress rehearsal for the launch on January 27, all three astronauts ( Gus Grissom , Ed White and Roger Chaffee ) were killed in a cabin fire, which revealed serious design, construction and maintenance shortcomings in Block I, many of which had been carried over into Block II command modules being built at the time. After a thorough investigation by
9400-530: Was prevented by a series of check valves, and back flow and ullage requirements were resolved by containing the fuel and oxidizer in Teflon bladders which separated the propellants from the helium pressurant. The four completely independent RCS clusters provided redundancy; only two adjacent functioning units were needed to allow complete attitude control. The lunar module used a similar four-quad arrangement of R-4D thruster engines for its RCS. Electrical power
9500-552: Was produced by three fuel cells , each measuring 44 inches (1.1 m) tall by 22 inches (0.56 m) in diameter and weighing 245 pounds (111 kg). These combined hydrogen and oxygen to generate electrical power, and produced drinkable water as a byproduct. The cells were fed by two hemispherical-cylindrical 31.75-inch (0.806 m) diameter tanks, each holding 29 pounds (13 kg) of liquid hydrogen , and two spherical 26-inch (0.66 m) diameter tanks, each holding 326 pounds (148 kg) of liquid oxygen (which also supplied
9600-480: Was reduced by 70 kilograms. The new version debuted on 7 October 2010 with the launch of Soyuz TMA-01M , carrying the ISS Expedition 25 crew. The Soyuz TMA-08M mission set a new record for the fastest crewed docking with a space station. The mission used a new six-hour rendezvous, faster than the previous Soyuz launches, which had, since 1986, taken two days. Soyuz MS is the final planned upgrade of
9700-540: Was severed and the service module was cast off and allowed to burn up in the atmosphere. The CSM was developed and built for NASA by North American Aviation starting in November 1961. It was initially designed to land on the Moon atop a landing rocket stage and return all three astronauts on a direct-ascent mission, which would not use a separate lunar module, and thus had no provisions for docking with another spacecraft. This, plus other required design changes, led to
9800-450: Was still assumed the lunar landing would be achieved by direct ascent rather than by lunar orbit rendezvous . Therefore, design proceeded without a means of docking the command module to a lunar excursion module (LEM) . But the change to lunar orbit rendezvous, plus several technical obstacles encountered in some subsystems (such as environmental control), soon made it clear that substantial redesign would be required. In 1963, NASA decided
9900-466: Was the area outside the inner pressure shell in the nose of the capsule, located around the forward docking tunnel and covered by the forward heat shield. The compartment was divided into four 90-degree segments that contained Earth landing equipment (all the parachutes, recovery antennas and beacon light, and sea recovery sling), two reaction control thrusters, and the forward heat shield release mechanism. At about 25,000 feet (7,600 m) during reentry,
10000-752: Was used for the flights to the military Almaz space station. Soyuz 7K-TM was the spacecraft used in the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975, which saw the first and only docking of a Soyuz spacecraft with an Apollo command and service module . It was also flown in 1976 for the Earth-science mission, Soyuz 22 . Soyuz 7K-TM served as a technological bridge to the third generation. The third generation Soyuz-T (T: Russian : транспортный , romanized : transportnyi , lit. 'transport') spacecraft (1976–1986) featured solar panels again, allowing longer missions,
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