Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Coolant spraying instrument-assembly compartment of the Soyuz spacecraft.
Image credit: NASA

Russian space experts via a State Commission have detailed a plan to deal with the compromised Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft now docked with the International Space Station.

In mid-December of last year, a radiator pipeline spewed its coolant out into space, putting to question the overall integrity of the craft to return crew members safely to Earth.

A specially convened team of experts have reported that Soyuz MS-22 should be brought back to Earth without a crew.

Image credit: Roscosmos

State of the ship

“Taking into account the analysis of the state of the ship, thermal calculations and technical documentation, it was concluded that the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft should descend in an unmanned version,” said Russia’s Roskosmos chief, Yuri Borisov, following a meeting of the State Commission, according to a TASS news agency report.

“In the event of particularly critical situations at the station, the possibility of using the spacecraft to rescue the crew will be determined by a separate decision of the State Commission,” Borisov added in the TASS story.

Image credit: Roscosmos

“Sporadic” meteoroid impact

As for the cause of the coolant issue, studies aided by cameras mounted on a robotic arm have shown that the Soyuz MS-22 radiator was damaged by a “sporadic” meteoroid impact.

The tiny hole in the radiator is less than 1 millimeter in size, created by an impactor zooming through space at a speed of 7,000 meters per second.

Technical damage to the radiator during manufacture is not confirmed.

Speed-up mode

Meanwhile, in speed-up mode, the launch of an uncrewed Soyuz MS-23 to the ISS is moving forward, now slated for February 20^th.

It was previously planned that Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub, along with NASA astronaut Loral O’Hara, would go to the station on March 16 on this ship.

Meanwhile, ISS members of the up and running expedition — Sergei Prokopiev, Dmitry Petelin and Francisco Rubio — is being extended. They will return to Earth on the freshly launched Soyuz MS-23.