Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Former cosmonaut, Sergey Krikalev.
Image credit: NASA

Former cosmonaut Sergey Krikalev has addressed the situation with the compromised Progress MS-21 on the International Space Station – described as a coolant leak from the thermal control on the cargo ship.

Progress MS-21 has been docked to the station for several months, launched from Baikonur on October 26 atop a Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket.

According to Krikalev, experts are currently thinking about how to inspect in detail the leak on the Progress MS-21 radiator in order to find out the cause of its occurrence. There is need to make sure that this is not a systematic error, because it may affect the following ships, he noted in a Roscosmos Telegram communiqué.

So far, the situation with Progress MS-21 has not led to a change in the ISS flight program. The situation on board the ISS after the depressurization of the Progress MS-21 spacecraft is calm, Roscosmos adds.

The compromised Progress MS-21 is to be ditched in the ocean on February 18, and the plans to do so have not changed.