Portal:Spaceflight/Selected article/Week 14 2008

The Soyuz-TMA (A - антропометрический, Antropometricheskii meaning anthropometric) design is the most recent revision of the Soyuz spacecraft used by the Russian Federal Space Agency for human spaceflights. The spacecraft features several changes to accommodate requirements requested by NASA in order to service the International Space Station, including more latitude in the height and weight of the crew and improved parachute systems. It is also the first expendable vehicle to feature a "glass cockpit." Soyuz-TMA looks identical to the earlier Soyuz-TM spacecraft on the outside, but interior differences allow it to accommodate taller occupants with new adjustable crew seating. (more...)