Soyuz

American  

[saw-yooz, suh-yooz] / ˈsɔ juz, sʌˈjuz /

noun

1. one of a series of Soviet spacecraft, carrying one, two, or three cosmonauts, who carried out scientific research and developed rendezvous and docking techniques: still used to ferry crews to Soviet space stations.

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Soyuz British  

/ sɔɪˈjʊz /

noun

1. any of a series of Russian spacecraft used to ferry crew to and from space stations

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Etymology

Origin of Soyuz

From the Russian word Soyúz literally, union

Example Sentences

He launched aboard Soyuz MS-22 on Sept. 21, 2022, and returned on Sept. 27, 2023, after spending 371 days in orbit, setting the record for the longest single space mission by an American astronaut.

From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026

The Korean satellite was supposed to be launched in 2022 with a Soyuz rocket, but the plan was scrapped after Russia’s attack on Ukraine that year, according to the website.

From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026

Throughout the 2010s, American astronauts reached the space station by hitching rides on Russian Soyuz rockets, until a burgeoning private-sector spaceflight industry stepped in.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Russia launched its Soyuz rockets from Kourou between 2011 and 2022.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

There were plans for her to command an all-female crew on International Women’s Day on April 3, 1986, but it was canceled due to a lack of Soyuz spacecraft.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson