NASA reports that the Russian space agency Roscosmos has decided to delay the launch of a spacecraft meant to replace one deemed insufficiently safe to transport astronauts after a second vehicle, a cargo ship, developed a leak on Saturday.
Three astronauts who are now stationed at the International Space Station will be returned to Earth by the replacement spacecraft, Soyuz MS-23, once it has been given the all-clear.
Roscosmos Delays Russian Spacecraft’s Launch
Soyuz MS-22, the vehicle that was initially allocated to the mission, was discovered to be leaking coolant in December.
Sergey Prokopyev, Dimitri Petelin, and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio were scheduled to return to Earth this month with the MS-23 replacement capsule, which was planned for launch by Roscosmos.
According to a post on the official Roscosmos Telegram channel, the rescue vehicle will now launch in March.
NASA’s confirmation that a different Russian spacecraft, a Progress cargo spacecraft that had arrived at the space station on February 11, had a similar coolant leak led to the decision to postpone.
The plans to return the crew of the craft, Commander Sergey Prokopyev, Flight Engineer Dmitry Petelin of Roscosmos, and Flight Engineer Francisco Rubio of NASA, to Earth, were already hampered by the leak, which specialists determined to be the result of a micro-meteorite strike.
They were launched to the ISS in September of last year from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome. The Soyuz MS-22 will now return home empty in March rather than returning in the same capsule as planned.
There are now seven astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS), but only one functioning capsule with the capacity to evacuate four people, as the Soyuz MS-22 has been assessed as potentially dangerous to go in.
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Soyuz MS-23 Capsule
Roscosmos had intended to launch the Soyuz MS-23 capsule more quickly and without a crew on Monday to replace the malfunctioning lifeboat.
Prokopyev, Petelin, and Rubio’s replacement crew, who was originally supposed to fly in that capsule, will now take off on the ensuing Soyuz MS-24 mission later this year.
As a result, Prokopyev, Petelin, and Rubio will need to remain aboard the station for several more months, extending their mission by over a year.
These delays might be made worse by the latest Progress MS-21 supply craft breach.
“Officials are monitoring all International Space Station systems and are not tracking any further concerns,” the NASA representative continued.
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