Soyuz

11A511 Soyuz Launcher

Mission Profile

Soyuz (11A511) was the original operational variant of the Soyuz rocket, the launch vehicle developed specifically to carry the Soviet Union's Soyuz crewed spacecraft to orbit. Standing 45.6 meters tall with a liftoff mass of 308,000 kg and generating 4,070 kN of thrust across its three stages, it could deliver 6,450 kg to low Earth orbit. Making its first flight in November 1966 and beginning crewed missions in 1967, this variant launched all Soviet Soyuz crewed missions through the early 1970s, including the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. It established the enduring architecture of the Soyuz rocket family that, in continuously evolved forms, has carried more crew to orbit than any other launch vehicle in history.