Why is a space shuttle better than a spacecraft?

The Space Shuttle was only designed for low Earth orbit. It could not go into high Earth orbit nor escape Earth orbit to fly in deep space. A “spacecraft” is any human-made object launched into space, manned or unmanned, satellite or spaceship.

Why was the Space Shuttle important?

The space shuttle did many things. It could carry up to seven astronauts at a time. It took satellites to space so they could orbit Earth. The shuttle carried large parts into space to build the International Space Station.

What was the Soyuz mission?

The Soyuz programme is an ongoing human spaceflight programme which was initiated by the Soviet Union in the early 1960s, originally part of a Moon landing project intended to put a Soviet cosmonaut on the Moon. It is the third Soviet human spaceflight programme after the Vostok and Voskhod programmes.

How does Soyuz get to the International Space Station?

The Soyuz launches from a country named Kazakhstan. It is Russia’s neighbor to the south. The Soyuz takes just six hours to get to the space station. The crew uses the hatch on the Soyuz to enter and leave the station. When the crew is ready to come home, they ride in the Soyuz capsule back to Earth.

How many people can ride in a Soyuz?

A Soyuz has room for three people to ride in it. The spacecraft also brings food and water to the space station. The Soyuz is like a lifeboat. At least one Soyuz is always attached to the space station. If there were an emergency on the space station, the crew could use the Soyuz to leave the space station and return to Earth.

What is the difference between a Soyuz and an astronaut?

NASA crew members from the United States are called astronauts. Crew members from Europe, Canada and Japan are also called astronauts. The Soyuz takes cosmonauts and astronauts to and from the space station. A Soyuz has room for three people to ride in it. The spacecraft also brings food and water to the space station.

How big is Soyuz launch vehicle?

Another illustration shows that the Soyuz launch vehicle is about the size of one Shuttle SRB. Soyuz habitable volume is a little over 10 cubic meters, not seven. Soyuz is used as a space station ferry, so doesn’t really need to have a lot of room in it.