Soyuz abort modes

Other Soviet spacecraft, like the TKS, attempted similar modular designs with a hatch through the heat shield to resolve this issue.

[3] The main SAS is a single solid rocket booster with several nozzles to control attitude, placed on top of the Soyuz capsule.

[4] In early Soyuz models, there were two abort modes in the time ranging from the ejection of the launch escape system until orbit.

[4] An analysis of the overall reliability of the Soyuz capsule was published in the years leading up to the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2010 by individuals from NASA JSC and the ARES Corporation.

[5] Following a malfunction in the central thrust chamber of the launch escape system when it was routinely jettisoned during the 2009 Soyuz TMA-15 launch, concerns were raised by officials with NASA and Russian organizations (including the Machine Building Central Research Institute) about the quality control and reliability of Soyuz emergency systems.

Upper section of Soyuz TMA-8 during assembly
The capsule and escape system of the Soyuz TMA-8 mission during assembly
image showing stages of Soyuz pad abort, refer to caption
The Soyuz pad abort procedure. The Image shows from left to right: 1) The firing of the SAS carrying the orbital module, descent module and a portion of the payload fairing from the launch vehicle 2) The separation of the descent module from the rest of the assembly 3) The deployment of parachutes and separation of heat shield 4) The firing of landing engines