Soyuz-U

11A511U

Mission Profile

The Soyuz-U (11A511U) was a three-stage Soviet/Russian launch vehicle in the R-7 family, the most-launched rocket variant in history with over 780 flights across a 44-year career. Standing 51.1 m tall with a 3 m core diameter and a liftoff mass of 313 tonnes, it generated 4,070 kN of liftoff thrust and could deliver 6,900 kg to low Earth orbit. First flying in May 1973, the Soyuz-U launched crewed Soyuz spacecraft, Progress cargo vehicles, military reconnaissance satellites, and commercial payloads in an unmatched record of operational longevity before being retired in 2017.