--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On the Soyuz, there’s simply not room to…" description: "\"“On the Soyuz, there’s simply not room to fly someone whose main contribution is expertise in a single area. The Russian rocket ship only carries three..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/chris-hadfield-2011_space_on-the-soyuz-there-s-simply-not-room-to_3029840.jpg" --- # On the Soyuz, there’s simply not room to fly someone whose… ![“On the Soyuz, there’s simply not room to fly someone whose main contribution is expertise in a single area. The Russian rocket ship only carries three people, and between them they need to cover off a huge matrix of skills. Some are obvious: piloting the rocket, spacewalking, operating the robotic…” quote by Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/chris-hadfield-2011_space_on-the-soyuz-there-s-simply-not-room-to_3029840.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/chris-hadfield-2011_space_on-the-soyuz-there-s-simply-not-room-to_3029840.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/chris-hadfield-2011_space_on-the-soyuz-there-s-simply-not-room-to_3029840.jpg) > ““On the Soyuz, there’s simply not room to fly someone whose main contribution is expertise in a single area. The Russian rocket ship only carries three people, and between them they need to cover off a huge matrix of skills. Some are obvious: piloting the rocket, spacewalking, operating the robotic elements of the ISS like Canadarm2, being able to repair things that break on Station, conducting and monitoring the numerous scientific experiments on board. But since the crew is going to be away from civilization for many months, they also need to be able to do things like perform basic surgery and dentistry, program a computer and rewire an electrical panel, take professional-quality photographs and conduct a press conference—and get along harmoniously with colleagues, 24/7, in a confined space.”” [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Space crews need diverse skills beyond expertise to survive long missions. **In simple terms:** Multitalented crews are essential. Key Takeaway Develop broad capabilities for teamwork. Themes teamwork skill diversity space travel Mood practical inspirational Type technical teamwork When to use this quote - mission training - team building - cross‑disciplinary education - spaceflight Key Concepts engineering medicine communication psychology Questions to Reflect On - What skills are most critical for isolation? - How can teams maintain harmony? A Different Perspective Over‑specialization can hinder adaptability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crew Going](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crew-going-4609994/) [Piloting Rocket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/piloting-rocket-4944226/) [Rocket Spacewalking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rocket-spacewalking-4944227/) [Soyuz Simply](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soyuz-simply-4944224/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Spacewalking Operating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spacewalking-operating-4944225/) ## Related quotes > [I was a little concerned with how the crew was going to view me because I didn't know whether this program had been kinda…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christa-mcauliffe/i-was-a-little-concerned-with-how-the-crew-was-going-to-view-me/) [Christa McAuliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christa-mcauliffe/) > [I'd have conversations with the camera crew about what was going on in the scene, so that they were prepared to shoot it. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sarandon/i-d-have-conversations-with-the-camera-crew-about-what-was-going-on/) [Susan Sarandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sarandon/) > [“Sometimes when people find out I’m an astronaut, they ask, “So what do you do when you’re not flying in space?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/sometimes-when-people-find-out-i-m-an-astronaut-they-ask-so-what-do/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who... looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbur-wright/the-desire-to-fly-is-an-idea-handed-down-to-us-by-our-ancestors-who/) [Wilbur Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbur-wright/) > [While the people retain their virtue and vigilance, no administration, by any extreme of wickedness or folly, can very seriously injure the government in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/while-the-people-retain-their-virtue-and-vigilance-no-administration/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [“We'll not only survive, we'll thrive, be positively alive with a little more space between us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-leland-taylorre/we-ll-not-only-survive-we-ll-thrive-be-positively-alive-with-a-little/) [Robert Leland Taylorre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-leland-taylorre/) > [There are some good space battles in some of the later series, but that wasn't why you were tuning in every week. You were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-d-moore/there-are-some-good-space-battles-in-some-of-the-later-series-but/) [Ronald D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-d-moore/) > [I have a way to photograph. You work with space, you have a camera, you have a frame, and then a fraction of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastiao-salgado/i-have-a-way-to-photograph-you-work-with-space-you-have-a-camera-you/) [Sebastiao Salgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastiao-salgado/) > [“lived his life in the middle, hovering in a space devoid”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burris/lived-his-life-in-the-middle-hovering-in-a-space-devoid/) [Doug Burris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burris/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I don't want to go into space because of war. I think we would if it was triggered. If China said they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-go-into-space-because-of-war-i-think-we-would-if-it/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [Plenty of white space and generous line spacing,and don't make the type size too miserly. Then you will be assured of a product fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-bodoni/plenty-of-white-space-and-generous-line-spacing-and-don-t-make-the/) [Giambattista Bodoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giambattista-bodoni/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) ## More by Chris Hadfield > [“Wow, that was a really good sleep. I feel great. Hmm, that sounds like someone on the radio; maybe I’m still dreaming. Weird—the guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/wow-that-was-a-really-good-sleep-i-feel-great-hmm-that-sounds-like/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [“Sometimes when people find out I’m an astronaut, they ask, “So what do you do when you’re not flying in space?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/sometimes-when-people-find-out-i-m-an-astronaut-they-ask-so-what-do/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [My optimism and confidence come not from feeling I'm luckier than other mortals, and they sure don't come from visualizing victory. They're the result…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/my-optimism-and-confidence-come-not-from-feeling-i-m-luckier-than/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [Our training pushes us to develop a new set of instincts: instead of reacting to danger with a fight-or-flight adrenaline rush, we're trained to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/our-training-pushes-us-to-develop-a-new-set-of-instincts-instead-of/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [“That’s how I approach just about everything. I spend my life getting ready to play “Rocket Man.” I picture the most demanding challenge; I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/that-s-how-i-approach-just-about-everything-i-spend-my-life-getting/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [“Many people object to “wasting money in space” yet have no idea how much is actually spent on space exploration. The CSA’s budget, for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/many-people-object-to-wasting-money-in-space-yet-have-no-idea-how/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [Don't let life randomly kick you into the adult you don't want to become](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/don-t-let-life-randomly-kick-you-into-the-adult-you-don-t-want-to/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [The Soyuz craft weighs tons, and you're lying on the floor of it on your back. But the Russians do tell you, remember, before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/the-soyuz-craft-weighs-tons-and-you-re-lying-on-the-floor-of-it-on/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [“They have the impression that between launches, we pretty much sit around in a waiting room in Houston trying to catch our breath before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/they-have-the-impression-that-between-launches-we-pretty-much-sit/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [It's almost comical that astronauts are stereotyped as daredevils and cowboys. As a rule, we're highly methodical and detail-oriented. Our passion isn't for thrills…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/it-s-almost-comical-that-astronauts-are-stereotyped-as-daredevils-and/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [“If you’re an adrenaline junkie, I understand why you’d find that exciting. But I’m not, and I don’t. To me, the only good reason…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/if-you-re-an-adrenaline-junkie-i-understand-why-you-d-find-that/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [I once made myself black out by pulling G too quickly while flying an F-18. Being unconscious in a single-seat airplane is not good.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/i-once-made-myself-black-out-by-pulling-g-too-quickly-while-flying-an/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [“When you have some skills but don’t fully understand your environment, there is no way you can be a plus one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/when-you-have-some-skills-but-don-t-fully-understand-your-environment/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [Anticipating problems and figuring out how to solve them is actually the opposite of worrying: it's productive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/anticipating-problems-and-figuring-out-how-to-solve-them-is-actually/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) > [I think there are lots of ways to exercise ambition and accomplish things using leadership without going into elected politics. So, categorically, I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/i-think-there-are-lots-of-ways-to-exercise-ambition-and-accomplish/) [Chris Hadfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) [Explore all 191 Chris Hadfield quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/) ## More Space quotes > [There is something more important than any ultimate weapon. That is the ultimate position-the position of total control over Earth that lies somewhere out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lyndon-b-johnson/there-is-something-more-important-than-any-ultimate-weapon-that-is/) [Lyndon B. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lyndon-b-johnson/) > [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Plenty of white space and generous line spacing,and don't make the type size too miserly. Then you will be assured of a product fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-bodoni/plenty-of-white-space-and-generous-line-spacing-and-don-t-make-the/) [Giambattista Bodoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giambattista-bodoni/) > [I don't want to go into space because of war. I think we would if it was triggered. If China said they want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/i-don-t-want-to-go-into-space-because-of-war-i-think-we-would-if-it/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [The biggest change for me as a mom was realizing I needed to put someone else before me. Now the hardest part about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-alexis/the-biggest-change-for-me-as-a-mom-was-realizing-i-needed-to-put/) [Kim Alexis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-alexis/) > [I've used the Phoenix Centrifuge to replicate what the body's going to go through on the flight up. I've also done some gravity tests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/i-ve-used-the-phoenix-centrifuge-to-replicate-what-the-body-s-going/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [“lived his life in the middle, hovering in a space devoid”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-burris/lived-his-life-in-the-middle-hovering-in-a-space-devoid/) [Doug Burris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-burris/) > [I have a way to photograph. You work with space, you have a camera, you have a frame, and then a fraction of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastiao-salgado/i-have-a-way-to-photograph-you-work-with-space-you-have-a-camera-you/) [Sebastiao Salgado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastiao-salgado/) > [There are some good space battles in some of the later series, but that wasn't why you were tuning in every week. You were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-d-moore/there-are-some-good-space-battles-in-some-of-the-later-series-but/) [Ronald D. Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-d-moore/) > [“We'll not only survive, we'll thrive, be positively alive with a little more space between us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-leland-taylorre/we-ll-not-only-survive-we-ll-thrive-be-positively-alive-with-a-little/) [Robert Leland Taylorre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-leland-taylorre/) > [While the people retain their virtue and vigilance, no administration, by any extreme of wickedness or folly, can very seriously injure the government in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/while-the-people-retain-their-virtue-and-vigilance-no-administration/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who... looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilbur-wright/the-desire-to-fly-is-an-idea-handed-down-to-us-by-our-ancestors-who/) [Wilbur Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilbur-wright/) > [Man will not always stay on Earth; the pursuit of light and space will lead him to penetrate the bounds of the atmosphere, timidly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konstantin-tsiolkovsky/man-will-not-always-stay-on-earth-the-pursuit-of-light-and-space-will/) [Konstantin Tsiolkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konstantin-tsiolkovsky/) > [“I dropped into a space narrower than a preacher’s mind. Claustrophobia”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aquilone/i-dropped-into-a-space-narrower-than-a-preacher-s-mind-claustrophobia/) [James Aquilone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aquilone/) > [The Next Generation Space Telescope, which will be located much further away from the Earth than the Hubble Space Telescope presently is, will also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-nicollier/the-next-generation-space-telescope-which-will-be-located-much/) [Claude Nicollier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-nicollier/) [Browse all 13,302 Space quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“On the Soyuz, there’s simply not room to fly someone whose main contribution is expertise in a single area. The Russian rocket ship only carries three people, and between them they need to cover off a huge matrix of skills. Some are obvious: piloting the rocket, spacewalking, operating the robotic elements of the ISS like Canadarm2, being able to repair things that break on Station, conducting and monitoring the numerous scientific experiments on board. But since the crew is going to be away from civilization for many months, they also need to be able to do things like perform basic surgery and dentistry, program a computer and rewire an electrical panel, take professional-quality photographs and conduct a press conference—and get along harmoniously with colleagues, 24/7, in a confined space.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Chris Hadfield" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/on-the-soyuz-there-s-simply-not-room-to-fly-someone-whose-main/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Space" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/on-the-soyuz-there-s-simply-not-room-to-fly-someone-whose-main/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/chris-hadfield-2011_space_on-the-soyuz-there-s-simply-not-room-to_3029840.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/chris-hadfield-2011_space_on-the-soyuz-there-s-simply-not-room-to_3029840.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/45a/chris-hadfield-2011_space_on-the-soyuz-there-s-simply-not-room-to_3029840.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“On the Soyuz, there’s simply not room to fly someone whose main contribution is expertise in a single area…” — Chris Hadfield", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Chris Hadfield", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hadfield/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“On the Soyuz, there’s simply not...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/on-the-soyuz-there-s-simply-not-room-to-fly-someone-whose-main/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hadfield/on-the-soyuz-there-s-simply-not-room-to-fly-someone-whose-main/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```