[jimtorr]

The Soyuz program by the Russians is safer, they have a better design, obviously.

Yes, there's nothing like tried and true, 50-year old technology. The Soyuz systems may be crude, but at least they work.

[GingisK]

The Soyuz systems may be crude, but at least they work.

My younger brother worked at the Kennedy Space Center for years. He had daily conversations with astronauts. Those who rode home on the Soyuz told him that it was a gut-wrenching and physically abusive landing following an uncertain descent.

He also told me that the Russian side of the ISS is a cobbled mess of mostly non-functional equipment haphazardly strung together with external replacement parts designed for other purposes.

Choose your ride carefully.

[Campion]

Most of Soyuz is more like 65yo technology. The booster rocket is more like 80yo technology; it’s basically a V-2 that grew up and learned to burn kerosene instead of alcohol.