Soyuz undocking, reentry and landing explained

How does an astronaut return to Earth from the International Space Station? What does it feel like to re-enter the atmosphere? How does the Soyuz capsule function? Watch and find out. This video is based on an actual lesson delivered to the ESA astronaut class of 2009 (also known as the #Shenanigans09) during their ESA Basic Training. It features interviews with astronauts who have flown on the Soyuz and dramatic footage of actual landings.

Produced by the ESA Human Spaceflight and Operations (HSO) Astronaut Training Division, Cologne, Germany, in collaboration with the HSO Strategic Planning and Outreach Office, Noordwijk, The Netherlands, with special support from Roskosmos.

Narration Voice: Bernard Oattes

Technical Experts: Stephane Ghiste, Dmitriy Churkin (HSO-UT)

Content Design: Stephane Ghiste, Dmitriy Churkin, Raffaele Castellano, Matthew Day (HSO-UT)

Animation & Video Editing: Raffaele Castellano (HSO-UT), HSO-K

Project Coordination: Matthew Day, Stephane Ghiste, Dmitriy Churkin (HSO-UT)

Special thanks to:
Nikita Vtyurin, Andrew Thielmann (Orbiter Soyuz model)
Lionel Ferra (HSO-UT)
Oleg Polovnikov (HSO-UT)
Frank De Winne (HSO-A)
Paolo Nespoli (HSO-A)
Antonio Rodenas Bosque (HSO-UT)
NASA
ROSCOSMOS
S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia
Aerospace Search and Rescue Service of the Russian Federation

Parachute footage: Cambridge University Spaceflight

Surfer footage: copyright Red Bull Media House

Footage from inside Soyuz capsule courtesy of RSC Energia has limited rights:

a) These data are submitted with Limited Rights under Agreement among the Government of Canada, Governments of Member States of the European Space Agency, the Government of Japan, the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the United States of America concerning co-operation on the civil International Space Station.

These data may be used by the receiving co-operating agency and its contractors and subcontractors, provided that such data shall be used, duplicated or disclosed only for the following purposes, which are related to the Cooperating Agency Space Station Program for ISS:
1) Use for ESA astronaut training
2) Use for educational purposes
These data shall not be used by persons or entities other than the receiving Cooperating Agency, its contractors or subcontractors, or for any other purposes, without the prior written permission of the furnishing partner state, acting through its cooperating agency.

b) This notice shall be marked on any reproduction of these data in whole or part.

Also watch:
Journey to the ISS Part 1: The launch sequence explained

Watch Part 2: Soyuz rendezvous and docking explained

Captions available in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Romanian (with thanks to Alexa Mirel) and Spanish. Click on the CC button to switch between languages.

#ESA
#ISS
#Soyuz

[llama]

This is just proof that when everyone gets along, we can achieve something incredible. Stop the war and spread the love. At the end of the day, we are all human beings.

[ripapa]

I love it that when you're an astronaut you replace the word "terrifying" with "Interesting".

[clairecarson]

I've always dreamt of becoming an astronaut, but I don't have the means to do so. Watching this warms my heart because even through the screen, the way their journey was documented, I felt included. And that satisfied me. I will always have an outmost respect to astronauts.

[briansauer]

I am a big Spacex fanboy, but I have much respect for what Russia has accomplished . The Soyuz has the best safety record of any spacecraft and I would feel totally safe if I ever got the chance to fly in one.

[tonyvice]

17:04 that's it. That's the single moment that captures so much of our good side of humanity. Putting aside differences and achieving the impossible. Sharing the feeling of a common origin and home. All these people should be commemorated. Brilliant and tear jerking

[Ryan-tvcl]

Respect to whoever calculates all the re-entry stuff. I can hardly guide my car through the KFC drive thru without making a mistake.

[jueeceinahoven]

My god, the design process for all this technology must have been MIND BLOWINGLY hard.  its a headache to get anything to work in KSP let alone in real life.  
Highest respect to everyone in this field. 

[grxengine]

My wonderful handsome super-smart son is working at Blue Origin this Summer & I have been watching space videos on you tube non-stop. I feel so very proud of him and the planet’s space programs in general.

[--]

I'm 25 and it's amazing to think my parents were alive when no man had ever been to space. I was born on the same year the internet was invented. I grew up with rolodex's and polaroids. Now, my watch has more computing power than Apollo 11, I can take and send HD video's, watch movies, FaceTime with people across the world all with the phone that fits in my pocket. I can learn almost anything I want without going to a library. etc. etc. etc. Even looking back 10 years, our lives seemed primitive. I was born and grew up in the most significant technological pivot point in human history. I can only imagine what the kids growing up now will see and know when they become elders.

[fanman]

Finally a well documented video of the space exploration.

[EuropeanSpaceAgency]

This video is the third in a sequence - Part 1 explains the launch sequence The Soyuz launch sequence explained. Part 2 will be produced later and covers rendezvous and docking.

[sevenseaseveryone]

Humans have come a long way. Thanks to all those who've contributed to the progress in some way or the other.

[nisarakbar]

Oh my God.. How beautiful science is. I am really amazed to see the actual implications of science. Anyone watching in May 2019.?

[AshTheMohican]

I love the space program because we're actually working together with other nations as brothers and sisters rather than as adversaries. Europeans, Russians, Asians and Americans all working together for mankind.

[aparnaapz]

I don't why..the last scene put tears of joy in my eyes...

[souravchawla]

I feel sick imagining how crowded these heroes are, can’t image how they feel in case of emergency.
You are legends.

[EuropeanSpaceAgency]

#Soyuz undocking, reentry and landing explained - How does an astronaut return to Earth from the International Space Station? What does it feel like to re-enter the atmosphere? How does the Soyuz capsule function? Watch and find out. This video is based on an actual lesson delivered to the ESA astronaut class of 2009 during their ESA Basic Training.

[victorsantana]

Balls of steel these cosmonauts have. So many things that can go wrong before entering the atmosphere, then a burning capsule and finally a crazy hard landing. They surely love what they do.

[EuropeanSpaceAgency]

Captions in Italian, German, Spanish, Russian and English now available on our Soyuz undocking, reentry and landing explained video - French coming soon.

[HumanSagaVault]

i actually teared up seeing them out of that capsule, just imagine how they longed to breathe fresh air again after such a long time. to be able to see the green meadows and the blue skies. what an extraordinary job they have, they must be very2 proud of themselves for having such job that is only given for a very few people. God Bless them