Soyuz

Recent Launch: A Soyuz spacecraft, commemorating the 80th anniversary of WWII’s end, launched from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

Crew: The spacecraft is carrying an American astronaut (Jonny Kim) and two Russian cosmonauts (Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky) to the International Space Station (ISS).

Mission: The crew will conduct 50 scientific studies in space before returning on December 9.

Historical Significance: The Soyuz program is the longest operational human spacecraft program, dating back to the 1960s. Soyuz means “union” in Russian.

Function: Soyuz spacecraft primarily serve as crew ferries to and from Earth-orbiting space stations, including the ISS.

Design: The Soyuz spacecraft is composed of three modules: orbital, service, and reentry.

Non-Reusable: Both the Soyuz rockets and spacecraft are non-reusable.

US-Russia Collaboration: Space collaboration through the ISS remains one of the few active partnerships between Russia and the United States.

Challenges for Roscosmos: Russia’s space program faces challenges including funding issues, corruption, and setbacks, although still serves as crucial transport to the ISS.