Russia to launch new capsule to return space station crew

Russian space company Roscosmos stated Wednesday that it’ll launch a brand new spacecraft to take a number of the Worldwide Area Station’s crew again to Earth after their capsule was broken and leaked coolant.

Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin and NASA astronaut Frank Rubio arrived on the station in September on board a Soyuz MS-22 and deliberate to make use of the capsule to return to Earth. But it surely leaked coolant final month, leading to larger cabin temperatures.

After analyzing the scenario and discussing it with NASA, Roscosmos determined to launch a brand new Soyuz MS-23 capsule in crewless computerized mode on Feb. 20 to take the trio again, Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov instructed reporters.

In case of an emergency on the Worldwide Area Station that may require the evacuation of the whole crew earlier than the brand new capsule arrives, space officers will take into account whether or not the Soyuz MS-22 might be used safely, Borisov stated.

The leak from the Soyuz MS-22 was noticed in December when the Russians have been about to enterprise outdoors the station on a deliberate spacewalk and floor specialists noticed a stream of fluid and particles emanating from the Soyuz on a stay video feed from space.

Borisov stated Wednesday that the evaluation confirmed the leak was brought on by a micrometeoroid.

Roscosmos and NASA each have stated the incident hasn’t posed any hazard to the station‘s crew.

Together with Prokopyev, Petelin and Rubio, 4 different crew members are at the moment on the space outpost: NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada; the Japan Aerospace Exploration Company’s Koichi Wakata; and Anna Kikina of Roscosmos.

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