Soyuz undocking, reentry and landing explained
Why Space Exploration Stack Exchange recommends it
Space Stack Exchange users link it as a go-to reference for Soyuz reentry details such as module separation, periscope jettison, steering by lift and the final retro-rocket landing burn.
Recommended by 2 people across 2 different months, 2013 to 2019.
What it is
A 20-minute ESA training video that walks through how a Soyuz capsule undocks from the ISS, separates its modules, reenters the atmosphere and lands. It combines animation, astronaut interviews and real landing footage, and is based on a lesson given to ESA's 2009 astronaut class.
What people said
Recommends Jörg W Mittag · 2017-04 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “Did the soft-landing rockets malfunction in the Soyuz (expedition 50 crew) landing?”
ESA has a nice 3-part video series [LINK] on YouTube that explains on a high-level ascent, rendezvous, and re-entry. These are actual training videos that are shown to ESA astronauts during their training. The narrator in the video gives the height at which the retro-rockets fire as "70 cm": 70 cm above the ground, the six retro-rockets fire to further reduce the capsule's speed to approximately 5 km/h. You can see in the video (at about 18:07) that the rockets really do fire very late and very short. It actually looks more like a small explosion underneath the capsule than sustained thrust from a rocket:
Recommends Ricardo Albear · 2019-06 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “Detailed information about the Soyuz descent module connection box?”
Anyone have some detailed information about how all this connectors, located in the soyuz descent module ? Are they used only when they setup the Soyuz or they are also connected to the equipment module ? [LINK] [LINK] Pictures from here [LINK] Update 1 (TMA-19) I get this picture from the module TMA-19M exposed in the Science museum in London [LINK] More info about the exposed module here [LINK] Update 2 (MS-04) From this Soyuz MS-04 Construction, Testing and Integration [LINK] video we can see this connection box multiple times [LINK] Video here [LINK] [LINK] Video here [LINK] [LINK] Video here [LINK] Update 3 This [this video] video which explains the process of reentry shows in a rendered way
Cites user54 · 2013-12 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “How is the periscope port on Soyuz spacecraft secured for the atmospheric reentry?”
Regarding the jettisoning of the periscope check out this simulation in the video explaining Soyuz reentry sequence at 9:40. [this video] You'll notice the periscope being jettisoned at the same time the spacecraft propulsion and orbital modules separate from the landing capsule. I think what left is just a small window of heatproof transparent material. In the same video @11:40 you can see the main windows are not covered during re-entry, so it is not a problem. The plasma just burns the outside layer of the window.
Cites Nickolai · 2014-09 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “Why does the Soyuz cover its main engine?”
As seen in Gravity, and also in this youtube video: , the Soyuz main engine is covered by a metal plate that it mechanically moved out of the way before firing. What is the function of this covering?
Cites mins · 2014-12 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “How fast can the crew evacuate the ISS? (ACRV)”
Does the entire crew fit into the Soyuz life boat they have today? Each crew member comes with a Soyuz which remains docked and can be used as a shelter or to return to Earth (actually the oldest docked Soyuz returns first, the hydrogen peroxide of the reaction control system degrades with time). For example: TMA-11M [LINK] (carrying the Olympic flame...) docked to the ISS on Nov. 7, 2013 with 3 additional crew members, making the total aboard to 9 persons. At this time 3 Soyuz were docked: TMA-09M [LINK] (initially on Rassvet but relocated on Zvesda to make room for TMA-11M), TMA-10M [LINK] (on Poisk) and TMA-11M (on Rassvet). (source: microsiervos [LINK] ) The relocation of TMA-09M [LINK]
Cites SF. · 2016-01 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “Does ISS stop rotation for docking?”
Interestingly, while, as per BowlOfRed's answer, the ISS doesn't turn for docking, it does turn with its bottom in prograde direction [this video] when undocking Soyuz from its bottom ports.
Cites The Harmonic Rainbow · 2018-02 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “Why aren't there many audio soundscapes recorded within the spacecraft?”
First of all, let me explain that I am totally blind, and audio is my primary source of information. Through soundscapes, I can hear how big or small a room is, and make pictorial and spatial images about the room based on its ambiance. I have recorded myself embarking and disembarking a few planes, and I'm sure there are many recordings posted on the web where people have gone and recorded their flights. My question is, why are there so few recordings of space capsules and space shuttles taken within the inside of the vehicle, and not outside? I have but found one in which you can hear what it sounds like when the engines ignite, when the SRB's are jettisoned, when a checklist is torn away
Cites user2277550 · 2018-11 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “Shape of Dragon Crew capsule affecting ballistic descent?”
@OrganicMarble [this video] There is a much better reference of the ROSCOSMOS chief explaining this after a 2008 ballistic descent. Not that I care much about an upvote.
Cites zephyr0110 · 2019-02 · Space Exploration Stack Exchange · on “Soyuz Steering during Re-Entry”
In this [this video] , it talks about steering Soyuz by changing lift. Why does roll rotation help in changing lift and also helping in cross range steering? I am looking for an answer from aerodynamics and structural point of view.