Russian spacecraft have been used for a variety of missions since the 1950s. The most famous Russian spacecraft are the Soyuz and the Mir. The Soyuz is a series of spacecraft designed for crewed spaceflight, and has been in operation since 1967. The Mir was a space station that operated from 1986 to 2001. Both the Soyuz and the Mir have been instrumental in advancing space exploration and technology.