What is Soyuz (spacecraft)?
[[File:Soyuz 19 (Apollo Soyuz Test Project) spacecraft.jpg|thumb|200px|Soyuz seen from the [[Apollo]] spacecraft during the Apollo Soyuz Test Project]] '''Soyuz''' ({{lang-ru|Союз}}, {{lang-en|Union}}) is a series of [[spacecraft]] designed for the [[Soviet space programme]]. It was first used in the 1960s. The Soyuz spacecraft is launched on a Soyuz rocket, the most frequently used and most reliable<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/Delta_Mission/Soyuz_launch_vehicle_The_most_reliable_means_of_space_travel|title=Soyuz launch vehicle: The most reliable means of space travel|last=esa|work=European Space Agency|access-date=2018-04-19|language=en-GB}}</ref> [[launch vehicle]] in the world to date.<sup>Soyuz</sup> All Soyuz spacecraft are launched from the [[Baikonur Cosmodrome]] in Kazakhstan. == History == The first Soyuz flight had no people aboard. It launched on November 28, 1966. The first Soyuz mission with a crew, Soyuz 1, launched on 23 April 1967 but crashed upon return, killing cosmonaut [[Vladimir Komarov]]. Soyuz 3<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.russianspaceweb.com/soyuz3_lv.html|title=Soyuz-3 launch vehicle|website=www.russianspaceweb.com|access-date=2018-05-30}}</ref> (October 26, 1968) was the first successful manned mission. Now, the Soyuz is widely considered the world's safest, most cost-effective human spaceflight vehicle. Soyuz spacecraft were used to carry cosmonauts to and from [[Salyut]] and later [[Mir]] space stations, and are now used for transport to and from the [[International Space Station]] (ISS). At least one Soyuz spacecraft is docked at the ISS at all times for use as an escape craft in the event of an emergency. == Parts == The Soyuz [[spacecraft]] has three parts: * A round orbital module, which provides space for the crew; * A small reentry module, which gets the crew back to Earth; * A service module with solar panels, which contains instruments and engines. === Orbital module === The orbital module is also called the Habitation section. I