Soyuz – SpaceNews

MaiaSpace to use former Soyuz launch pad in French Guiana

by Jeff FoustSeptember 27, 2024September 27, 2024

The French space agency CNES has selected MaiaSpace, a startup backed by ArianeGroup developing a reusable small launch vehicle, to take over a launch pad in French Guiana originally built for the Soyuz rocket.

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Civil, Launch, News

Soyuz launches to station after scrub

by Jeff FoustMarch 23, 2024March 23, 2024

Civil, Commercial, Launch, News

Cargo Dragon launches to space station hours after Soyuz scrub

by Jeff FoustMarch 21, 2024March 21, 2024

Rubio departed the International Space Station, along with Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, at 3:54 a.m. EDT, and made a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 7:17 a.m. (5:17 p.m. Kazakhstan time), southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan. “Frank’s record-breaking time in space is not just a milestone; it’s a major contribution to our understanding of long-duration space missions,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Our astronauts make extraordinary sacrifices away from their homes and loved ones to further discovery. NASA is immensely grateful for Frank’s dedicated service to our nation and the invaluable scientific contributions he made on the International Space Station. He embodies the true pioneer spirit that will pave the way for future exploration to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.” Rubio launched on his first spaceflight on Sept. 21, 2022, alongside Prokopyev and Petelin. Rubio’s spaceflight is the longest single spaceflight by a U.S. astronaut, breaking the record previously held at 355 days by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei. During his mission, Rubio completed approximately 5,936 orbits and a journey of more than 157 million miles, roughly the equivalent of 328 trips to the Moon and back. He witnessed the arrival of 15 visiting spacecraft and the departure of 14 visiting spacecraft representing crewed and uncrewed cargo missions. Rubio’s extended mission provides researchers the opportunity to observe the effects of long-duration spaceflight on humans as the agency plans to return to the Moon through the Artemis missions and prepare for exploration of Mars. Rubio, Prokopyev, and Petelin launched aboard the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft but, due to a coolant leak, returned to Earth aboard the Soyuz MS-23. The affected Soyuz MS-22 capsule returned without its crew after the Soyuz MS-23 capsule launched as a replacement on Feb. 23, 2023. Following post-landing medical checks, the crew will return to Karaganda, Kazakhstan. Rubio will then board a NASA plane bound for his return to Houston. During his record-breaking mission, Rubio spent many hours on scientific activities aboard the space station, conducting a variety of tasks ranging from plant research to physical sciences studies. With the undocking of the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft, Expedition 70 officially began aboard the station. NASA astronauts Loral O’Hara and Jasmin Moghbeli remain aboard the orbital outpost alongside ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Andreas Mogensen, who became station commander Sept. 26, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Satoshi Furukawa, and Roscosmos cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko, and Nikolai Chub. Mogensen, Moghbeli, Furukawa, and Borisov will return to Earth in February 2024, after a short handover with the crew of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission. O’Hara is scheduled to return to Earth in March 2024, while Kononenko and Chub will spend a year aboard the station, returning in September 2024.

Press Release

Soyuz MS-22 Returns A Space Station Crew To Earth

by SpaceRef EditorSeptember 27, 2023July 15, 2024

Civil, News

Soyuz returns ISS crew after record-setting stay

by Jeff FoustSeptember 27, 2023September 27, 2023

Civil, News

New ISS crew arrives on Soyuz

by Jeff FoustSeptember 17, 2023September 17, 2023

Civil, News

Crew Dragon, Soyuz missions set for launches to ISS

by Jeff FoustJuly 30, 2023July 30, 2023

Civil, News

Replacement Soyuz arrives at space station

by Jeff FoustFebruary 26, 2023February 26, 2023

Civil, Commercial, News

Crew-6 launch slips as Progress leak investigation continues

by Jeff FoustFebruary 22, 2023February 22, 2023

Civil, News

Russia reschedules Soyuz launch after Progress undocks

by Jeff FoustFebruary 18, 2023February 18, 2023