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I've started to notice more and more as I study the ISS, that I can only ever find pictures of one Soyuz docked. Where is the other one?

Lets say their sending up a crew of 6 for an expedition.
A Soyuz craft can only carry 3 at a time (wiki), thus meaning another one has to launch later.
(Which is why theres always a period where only 3 of the 6 are on the station)

What modules do both the Soyuz dock to?

I also feel that I might be looking at this the wrong way. Please correct me if I'm wrong that both are docked at the same time?

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Given the International Space Station's modular design, it appears spacecraft such as Soyuz and resupply freighters such as Progress can attach to many different modules.


This NASA diagram from 2008 shows Soyuz can be attached to four modules:

  • MRM1 (Mini Research Module - Rassvet)
  • MRM2 (Poisk)
  • Pirs
  • Zvezda

NASA diagram


Here's a 2008 NASA photograph showing two Soyuz craft attached to the ISS. The angle makes it look like they might be attached to one of the US section modules, but in fact they are docked to Pirs and Rassvet. The caption reads:

ESA's Columbus laboratory, Node-2 and Japan's Kibo module at the ISS (main truss at rear, two Soyuz vehicles lower centre)

enter image description here


Here's another NASA image from April 2014 showing two attached Soyuz, captioned:

There are now four vehicles, two Soyuz spacecraft and two Progress space freighters, docked to the International Space Station.

enter image description here

A good question and answer similar to this is the question:

Will the ISS need more docking ports?

Some details on the Russian and US segments future plans as well as current situation is available in that question.

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  • $\begingroup$ Lovely! Time to save those! (Doing a project on this) Thanks! $\endgroup$
    – Finn Rayment
    Commented Dec 30, 2014 at 13:21
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    $\begingroup$ @FinnRayment: You're welcome! To find more, search Google Images for "two soyuz" ISS and have a wade through. $\endgroup$
    – Hugo
    Commented Dec 30, 2014 at 13:27
  • $\begingroup$ Ahh. I searched "both soyuz docked" and "both soyuz docked to iss" and it just showed me Progress beside Soyuz... Thanks! $\endgroup$
    – Finn Rayment
    Commented Dec 30, 2014 at 13:29
  • $\begingroup$ @Hugo Although you said that they can dock to "certain ones", is there a reason why they can't dock to any other Russian docking port? Are they reserved? $\endgroup$
    – user7078
    Commented Dec 31, 2014 at 4:03