Soyuz and Progress spacecraft look similar, but they can be distinguished even without visible portholes. The key detail is the convex structure on the habitation module, known as the blister. This element appeared on the Soyuz-TM modification and has since become an integral part of manned spacecraft.
The blister is a porthole that faces directly forward. It is used in critical situations, such as when the automation fails during docking. In such cases, the flight engineer installs a laser rangefinder and visually monitors the approach to the ISS through the blister, reporting speed and distance data to the commander. The Progress cargo ship does not have such a structure - its docking is always fully automated, and there is no need for manual control and visual monitoring.
The presence of a blister is not just a technical feature, but a safety element. Manned missions require redundant systems in case of unforeseen situations. Progress freighters do not have this need, so their design is simpler. By remembering this detail, even a non-specialist can easily determine the type of ship in a photo or video, focusing on the characteristic "protrusion" on the Soyuz hull.
Read more on the topic:
Progress MS-26 and Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft have been deconserved at Baikonur
The launch of Soyuz MS-27 with a crew to the ISS is scheduled for April 8
Successfully arrived at its destination: the Progress MS-30 space freighter docked with the ISS
Now on home
Netizens believe that UAVs are better replaced by thousands of small satellites at an altitude of 200 km
Likhachev: We are ready to offer Serbia the entire range of our projects
Fraudsters have learned to imitate the interface of a bank and payment system
The truck can operate as part of road trains weighing up to 100 tons
Work on the high-speed maglev body has already begun
The first stages of the program are planned to be completed by 2032
Recovery teams are working at the scene
The fifth prototype was accelerated to 190 km/h at an altitude of 300 meters
Over the past two years, the growth rate in this segment has been at 15%
Experts got acquainted with the key objects of the experimental base and advanced methods of certification flights
In annual reports, parliamentarians willingly share statistics from their channels
The university is also working on creating robotic manipulators and robotic welders