There are only a few days left before the rescue operation for the astronauts trapped on the International Space Station (ISS) begins. The Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft is scheduled to dock to the orbital platform on February 26, which will replace the damaged capsule that was originally going to bring them back to Earth. The Russian space agency Roscosmos has reported that its takeoff will take place on February 24 at 2:01 in the morning, Spanish peninsular time, from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. In addition, the Russian body has shown the damage suffered by another ship incorporated into the ISS, the Progress MS-21 transport.
“The analysis of the emergency situations that occurred with the Progress MS-21 and the Soyuz MS-22 continues,” Roscosmos explained in a statement. According to their preliminary data, the cargo ship was also hit by an external agent, as was the case with the personnel carrier in December. In both cases, a drop in pressure was detected in their refrigeration systems, and the subsequent review with the mechanical arm of the US segment revealed the presence of leaks and cracks of several millimeters in their covers.
“These alterations include the solar panels and the ship’s thermal regulation system,” said the space agency, which ruled out a manufacturing defect after reviewing the history of its temperature control system over the past 15 years.
The images released by Roscosmos show a 12-millimeter-diameter crack in the Progress radiator. The investigation of both incidents will continue on Earth, where more tests will be carried out once the Soyuz MS-22 returns. As planned by the space agency, its return to automatic mode will take place at the end of March.
Russian cosmonauts Dmitri Petelin and Sergei Prokopiev, and American astronaut Frank Rubio wait on the International Space Station for the arrival of the empty Soyuz MS-23. His mission will be extended for a few more months, which has also delayed the sending of the next mission to the orbital station. Due to these mishaps, Roscosmos announced on Tuesday that the first cosmonaut in the history of the Republic of Belarus will take off in the spring of 2024 and not in the fall of 2023, as initially planned.
Despite the war in Ukraine, the collaboration between the US and Russia continues in space, at least for now. The Roscosmos Scientific-Technical Council has given its approval to extend the useful life of the Russian segment on the International Space Station until 2028. At the committee meeting, the measures to be taken to guarantee its good condition and the program of scientific projects to be carried out on the orbital platform in the coming years were discussed. “With these reports, Roscosmos will prepare the documents to request the Russian Government to extend the useful life of its segment on the ISS,” the agency announced.
Kremlin approval is feasible. The Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Russian Ministry of Industry, Denís Manturov, stated in October that his country plans to maintain its activity on the ISS as long as it does not have its own orbital space station, and this would not take place at least before 2028. according to his calculations.
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