Russia to rescue space station crew after capsule leak

Russia has introduced it might launch one other Soyuz spacecraft subsequent month to rescue two cosmonauts and a US astronaut from the International Space Station (ISS) after their authentic capsule was hit by a micrometeoroid and began leaking.

A tiny leak – lower than 1mm large – brought on the leak on the exterior cooling system of the Soyuz MS-22 capsule.

It was considered one of two capsules docked to the ISS able to bringing crew residence.

Russia has introduced it’s going to launch a rescue mission in February 2023 to convey again the crew from the International Space Station. (AP)

Russia will ship up a brand new capsule subsequent month to convey again three area station crew members whose authentic journey residence was broken, officers mentioned.

The two Russians and one American will keep a number of additional months on the International Space Station on account of the capsule swap, probably pushing their mission to shut to a 12 months, NASA and Russian area officers informed reporters.

Cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, and astronaut Frank Rubio had been alleged to return in March in the identical Soyuz capsule that took them up final September.

But that capsule was hit by a tiny meteoroid on December 14, making a small gap within the exterior radiator and sending coolant spewing into area.

Sergei Krikalev, head of human spaceflight for the Russian Space Agency, mentioned barring an emergency on the area station, it might be too harmful for the crew to make use of that capsule to return to Earth.

The ISS crew who shall be rescued after their authentic area capsule was broken. From left: US astronaut Frank Rubio, Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin, (AP)

Although Russian engineers consider the capsule may survive reentry and land safely, the cabin temperature may attain the low 40s with excessive humidity as a result of it could not shed warmth generated by a pc and different electronics, famous Krikalev, a former cosmonaut.

The new Soyuz capsule shall be launched from Kazakhstan on February 20, a month sooner than deliberate. No one shall be on board; the capsule will fly in automated mode.

NASA took half in all of the discussions and agreed with the plan.

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