Soyuz

American  

[saw-yooz, suh-yooz] / ˈsɔ yuz, sʌˈyuz /

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

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

This sign, written in Russian, is still hanging inside an office at the site where Russia once launched its Soyuz rockets from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

Among the items destined for the scrap heap is the gantry, which once sheltered Soyuz rockets from the tropical weather.

From Barron's • Feb. 18, 2026

When their space shuttle fleet was retired in 2011, the US spent a decade relying solely on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft to transport its crew and cargo - a situation Nasa admitted was far from ideal.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2024

Almost two years after her first flight, Svetlana took off again on July 17, 1984, this time as a flight engineer on the Soyuz T-12 for an 11-day mission.

From "Women in Space" by Karen Bush Gibson