A Soyuz spacecraft
is towed to a launch-
pad this past March
at the Baikonur Cos-
modrome. Developed
by the Soviet Union in
the 1960s, the durable
design is still used by
Russia’s space program.
Since the last space
shuttle was retired in
2011, U.S. astronauts
have hitched rides to
the International Space
Station on the Soyuz.
58 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC