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2007-11-10 00:26:31 · 1 answers · asked by Anne R 1 in Science & Mathematics Astronomy & Space

1 answers

The Soyuz spacecraft has three sections. The roughly spherical orbital module on the front, the bell-shaped re-entry module in the middle, and the cylindrical service module at the back. When the mission is completed the Soyuz fires rockets to slow down so it begins to fall back towards Earth, then the three modules separate. The orbital and service modules burn up on re-entry. The re-entry module, with the cosmonauts inside, uses small rocket motors to point blunt end forward. This end has a heat shield on it to protect the spacecraft from the intense heat of re-entry. After the capsule has slowed and is in free-fall within the atmosphere the heatshield is dropped off. A hatch on top opens to deploy parachutes to slow the descent, and just before impact small solid rockets in the base of the capsule (hidden by the heatshield until it was discarded) fire to brake the descent enough that landing on solid ground does not injure the crew inside. The crew then open a hatch and climb out.

2007-11-10 07:50:48 · answer #1 · answered by Jason T 7 · 0 0

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