November 19, 2025

— The world's most flown rocket is about to see its flight rate increase, albeit at a smaller scale.

Russia's Soyuz, which as a member of the Soviet-era R7 family of rockets has been launched more than 2,000 times, has now been made into a highly-detailed collector's model capable of flight. Released by Estes, the world leader in model rocketry, the Pro Series II Soyuz kit assembles into a 1:48-scale display and, when loaded with a solid-fuel engine, can soar 500 feet (152 meters) off the ground.

"This isn't just a kit, it's a piece of history," said Aaron Berndt in an Estes-produced video announcing the new kit. "Every line, every fin, every booster, recreated with museum level accuracy."

"And yeah, it flies," added Matt Meacham, a graphic designer at the Colorado-based company. "From new molding techniques to the first ever 3D-printed component in an Estes kit, this rocket pushed a limit of what we could build. This model isn't just impressive, it's a milestone for Estes."

Available for $129.99, the Estes Pro Series II Soyuz includes everything needed (but paint and glue) to build and fly a 3.5-foot-tall (1.1-meter) model of the rocket that carries crews to the International Space Station.

Design inspiration

It all started with a childhood trip to the public library, where John Boren came across a copy of Kenneth Gatland's "Missiles and Rockets: The Pocket Encyclopedia of Spaceflight in Color." Inside, were artist illustrations of rockets that Boren had never seen before, including the Soyuz.

"I kind of fell in love with the Russian space program rockets because they're just so unique and different from what the U.S. does," he said in the Estes video.

Estes Pro Series II Soyuz. Click to enlarge video in new pop-up window. (Estes Rockets)

Boren's interest in launch vehicles led him to his profession — today he is the senior designer at Estes. So when given the opportunity to choose a subject for a rocket kit, he immediately knew what he wanted to do.

"I wanted to make a scale rocket for Estes that's a little different than our previous ones. I wanted it as scale as I can get it. I wanted a lot of detail, but it also had to fly, of course," Boren said. "The Soyuz, the real one, is very complex. It has knobs and things sticking all over it."

"I created a lot of those parts. Some I couldn't create, but I think you're going to be very pleased with the detail this model has," he said.

Boren based his 100-part model on the Soyuz that in 2006 carried a Russian cosmonaut, a U.S. astronaut and a Brazilian astronaut to the space station — the Soyuz FG with Soyuz TMA-8 spacecraft — and a good set of reference drawings. For good measure, he also found a copy of "Missiles and Rockets" as he had flipped through as a kid.

Making history

Estes has a history of recreating real rockets as flying models. In recent years, the company has sold kits and out-of-the-box, ready-to-fly scale versions of NASA's Saturn V and Space Launch System (SLS) moon rockets, the space shuttle and commercial rockets like SpaceX's Falcon 9, Blue Origin's New Shepard and ULA's (United Launch Alliance) Vulcan.

The Soyuz stands apart, though, given the attention that was given to making it a display piece, too. (An optional display stand is available from Estes for $20.)

"The model has a mixture of components," said Boren. "It has blow-molded parts, a bunch of detailed injected-molded parts — including all the nozzles and fin assemblies — and we even have our first resin printed part."

Like the Titan II rocket that launched NASA's Gemini missions, the (real) Soyuz uses hot staging to separate its first and upper stages. The upper stage engine fires before the first stage drops away. To ease the transition, a truss is installed between the two stages.

"Instead of designing [the truss] so it is made out of 12 injected-molded plastic parts, you now have the opportunity to just have one part," Boren said. "It makes it much easier to assemble the model."

Builders only have to learn how to use plastic glue and CA [super] glue "a little bit more" than is typical for an Estes kit, according to Boren.

To launch the Soyuz, the kit includes stabilizing fins, two rip stop parachutes and the mount for a F15-4 engine (the motor, itself, is sold separately).

To further enhance the building experience, Estes has included with the collector's edition a "data pack" PDF that includes archival imagery, detailed diagrams, mission context and advanced finishing techniques that help you understand the real rocket and improve your build to be a museum-quality result.

"With a legacy stretching nearly 70 years, the Soyuz is one of the most important rockets in history, and now it's part of the Estes legacy, too," said Meacham.