Soyuz 2.1a vs Soyuz U
Side-by-side comparison across specs, pricing, and overall score — every value traced to a source.
Verdict: Soyuz U ranks highest overall (#2) with a score of 69.8.
The best choice still depends on which specs matter for your workload — per-metric winners are marked below.
What the numbers hide
Computed from the published values below — no estimates, no generated claims.
Fragile verdict
The overall winner flips to Soyuz U if LEO Capacity is weighted at 20% (it counts for 25% today). If leo capacity drives your decision, the ranking above may not be your ranking.
Fragile verdict
The overall winner flips to Soyuz U if Successful Launches is weighted at 30% (it counts for 25% today). If successful launches drives your decision, the ranking above may not be your ranking.
Real tradeoff
Soyuz 2.1a clearly beats Soyuz U on LEO Capacity but clearly loses on Successful Launches — this pair is a priorities question, not a quality question.
What nobody reports
Launch Cost (1 of 2 missing) — the questions worth asking vendors directly.
AI hot take
Sign in to generate a contrarian AI read of this comparison.
| Metric | Soyuz 2.1aProgress Rocket Space Center | Soyuz URussian Federal Space Agency (ROSCOSMOS) |
|---|---|---|
| Overall OptiSift Score | 41.6#16 | 69.8#2 |
| LEO Capacity | 7,020 | 6,900 |
| Successful Launches | 57 | 694 |
| Launch Cost | 80,000,000 | — |
| Failed Launches | 1 | 20 |
| Launch Mass | 312 | 313 |
| Length | 46.3 | 51.1 |
| Diameter | 2.95 | 2.95 |
| Reusable | No | No |