NASA and its Russian counterpart, Roscosmos, must indicate their plans for the Soyuz MS-22 capsule, which may no longer be suitable for transporting ISS crews.
Is the Russian Soyuz MS-22 space capsule good for service? In other words, can she bring a crew back to Earth safely? The answers to these two questions will perhaps be provided this Wednesday, January 11, 2023, during a progress report including two people in charge of manned flights – one for NASA, the other for Roscosmos, its counterpart Russian.
This progress report will involve Joel Montalbano (the head of the ISS program at NASA) and Sergei Krikaliov (the director general of Russian manned flights).
It’s about, specifies the press release of the American space agency, of discuss the results of Roscosmos’ investigation into the exterior leak of the Soyuz MS-22 capsule and discuss the upcoming strategy for uninterrupted human operations aboard the International Space Station “. The conference should begin at 3 p.m. (Paris time).
- What ? An update on the situation of the Soyuz MS-22 capsule;
- When ? Wednesday, January 11 at 3 p.m.;
- Where ? On the NASA web TV.
What future for the Soyuz MS-22 capsule?
Currently, several options are on the table until the space agencies reveal their intentions. If the capsule is still operational, it will be able to bring the crew back to Earth, as planned in the initial schedule. If not, it is likely to be separated from the ISS — its fate will also have to be decided: get it back? Throw her into the ocean?
If it turns out that the MS-22 capsule is out of order, two options then open up: either Russia is able to send another capsule to the ISS (MS-23), or we go through international cooperation. We know that discussions have been held between NASA and SpaceX recently – the American company has the capacity to transport crews.
Corridor sounds suggest that it would rather be the Russian track that would be followed. There is talk in particular of a departure from an MS-23 mission on February 20, to then reach the ISS in the hours that follow. The January 11 conference could endorse this lead.
The MS-22 mission left Earth in September 2022, with two Russians (Sergei Prokopiev and Dimitri Peteline) and an American (Francisco Rubio) on board. The ISS remains one of the areas where the United States and Russia still cooperate despite Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Thus, as part of an exchange of seats, Roscosmos has made room for a NASA astronaut.
The detection of the external leak at the level of the Soyuz dates from mid-December. She was spotted just before an extravehicular outing by two cosmonauts (both from the MS-22 mission precisely), forcing them to stop everything at the last moment. The crew was never in danger; the leak is outward and it is coolant.
Sergei Prokopiev, Dimitri Peteline and Francisco Rubio should in principle return to Earth in March 2023. A month later, the return of another crew is planned: Nicole Aunapu Mann, Josh A. Cassada, Koichi Wakata and Anna Kikina. These four will return with a SpaceX capsule. There are also several arrivals planned, in March and April.
