Soyuz MS-23 will transport Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin, Sergei Prokopyev and NASA’s Frank Rubio again to Earth later this yr.
Russia has launched an uncrewed Soyuz spacecraft on a rescue mission to return two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut whose journey again to Earth has been hampered after their authentic area automobile was broken by a mini meteorite whereas parked on the Worldwide House Station (ISS).
The Soyuz MS-23 vessel blasted off efficiently from the Russian-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Friday, dwell video broadcast by ISS companion NASA confirmed.
Although the MS-23 is scheduled to dock with the ISS early on Sunday morning Moscow time, it’s not anticipated to convey dwelling Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergei Prokopyev, and US astronaut Frank Rubio till later this yr.
The three arrived on the ISS in September 2022 onboard the MS-22 spacecraft and had been initially to remain about six months till the tip of March. However the MS-22 started to leak coolant in December after an obvious micro-meteorite punctured an exterior radiator.
The identical factor appeared to occur once more earlier this month, this time on a docked Russian cargo ship. Digital camera views confirmed a small gap in every spacecraft.
The uncrewed Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft lifted off at 7:24pm ET on a two-day journey to the area station to switch the MS-22 that skilled a coolant system leak in December 2022. Learn extra.. https://t.co/xG17Qs7q7n pic.twitter.com/970Cle2yK6
— Worldwide House Station (@Space_Station) February 24, 2023
MS-23, which took off on Friday, was initially scheduled to launch in mid-March with two cosmonauts and an astronaut on board who would take over from Rubio, Petelin and Prokopyev on the area station. However with out the alternative crew on board MS-23, the 2 Russians and the US crew member will now proceed working on the ISS till September.
Officers had decided that it was too dangerous to convey the three again of their broken Soyuz MS-22 subsequent month as initially deliberate. With no coolant, the cabin temperature would spike through the journey again to Earth, probably damaging computer systems and different tools, and exposing the suited-up crew to extreme warmth.
NASA mentioned in an announcement that the broken Soyuz MS-22 is scheduled to undock from the ISS in late March and return to Earth “for an uncrewed parachute-assisted touchdown in Kazakhstan, and post-flight evaluation by Roscosmos” – Russia’s area company.
After delivering folks to the area station, capsules keep hooked up to the orbiting analysis lab all through the length of missions, in case of any emergencies and to finally ferry their crews dwelling to Earth.
Along with the three crew awaiting the arrival of MS-23, there are additionally 4 others at the moment on the ISS after arriving on a SpaceX Dragon capsule final October as a part of the Crew-5 mission.
They’re scheduled to be joined subsequent week by members of the Crew-6 mission – two US nationals, an Emirati and a Russian – who will even arrive on board a SpaceX capsule anticipated to launch on Monday from Florida. After just a few days of overlap, Crew-5 will then return to Earth.
House has remained a uncommon venue of cooperation between Moscow and Washington for the reason that begin of the Russian struggle in Ukraine and ensuing Western sanctions on Russia.