Russia postpones launch of rescue ship to space station

Russia mentioned Monday it had delayed the launch of a rescue ship alleged to carry dwelling three astronauts whose deliberate return car was broken by a tiny meteoroid.

The mission’s postponement till March got here after the Russian space company reported a brand new drawback on the weekend, saying a provide ship docked on the Worldwide House Station (ISS) had leaked coolant.

“A choice has been taken to postpone the launch of the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft in an unmanned mode till March 2023,” the Russian space company mentioned.

“We stress that nothing threatens the life and well being of the crew,” it added.

Russia had mentioned in early January it might ship an empty spacecraft to the ISS on February 20 to carry again the three astronauts.

MS-22 flew Russian cosmonauts Dmitry Petelin and Sergei Prokopyev and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio to the ISS in September after taking off from the Russian-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

They had been scheduled to return dwelling in the identical spacecraft in March.

However MS-22 started leaking coolant in mid-December after being hit by what US and Russian space officers imagine was a tiny space rock.

On the weekend the Russian space company additionally mentioned the Progress MS-21, a Russian provide ship docked on the ISS, had leaked coolant.

The space company mentioned on Monday {that a} fee was trying to set up what had occurred to the Progress cargo ship.

“Till the reason for the emergency scenario is set, a choice was made to postpone the launch of the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft,” Roscosmos mentioned.

Lately Russia’s space programme has been beset by a litany of issues which have led to the lack of satellites and autos.

The ISS was launched in 1998 at a time of elevated US-Russia cooperation following the Chilly Battle “House Race.”

© 2023 AFP