In Soyuz: A Universal Spacecraft, authors Rex Hall and Dave Shayler review the development and operations of the Soyuz family of spacecraft. This includes the lesser-known military and unmanned versions of this reliable spacecraft. While most works on Soviet/Russian space operations focus on space station activities, the story of the Soyuz spacecraft has been largely neglected. An integral element of Salyut and Mir space station operations, the small ferry has been the mainstay of cosmonaut transportation since 1967. In addition, since 1978 the unmanned freighter version called Progress has provided a means in which to regularly re-supply a space station and so prolong its orbital lifetime. Using authentic Soviet and Russian sources this book is the first known work in the west dedicated to revealing the full story of the Soyuz series, including a complete listing of vehicle production numbers.
