Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Image credit: Roscosmos

Russia’s Roscosmos and NASA continue to work on ensuring the safety of the International Space Station crew due to the now-docked — but compromised — Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft.

That craft suffered a coolant leak in mid-December of last year. Due to a possible meteoroid strike, the vehicle’s radiator pipeline spewed its coolant out into space, putting to question the overall integrity of the craft to return crew members safely to Earth.

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

Earlier, Roscosmos and a special team of experts did decide that the crippled Soyuz should be brought back to Earth without a crew. Furthermore, the launch of an uncrewed Soyuz MS-23 to the ISS is being expedited, now slated for liftoff on February 20th.

Due to the situation with the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, Sergey Prokopiev, Dmitry Petelin and NASA’s Francisco Rubio will return to Earth on the fresh Soyuz MS-23. That craft is due to dock to the ISS in unpiloted mode on February 22.

Image credit: Roscosmos/NASA

Emergency evacuation

The ISS partner countries have taken measures to ensure the safe return of the station crew to Earth in the event of an accident before the arrival of a newly launched Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft.

While the systems of the ISS and the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft are operating normally, according to Roscosmos, in the event of an accident, the crew will need an emergency evacuation to Earth before the Soyuz MS-23 arrives.

It has been decided to temporarily move the seat of Francisco Rubio from the Soyuz MS-22 to a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.

NASA astronaut and Expedition 68 Flight Engineer Frank Rubio is pictured inside the cupola of the ISS.
Image credit: NASA/Frank Rubio

That work will take place on January 17-18.

Return two cosmonauts

However, in the event of a crisis on the ISS, the compromised three-seater Soyuz MS-22 may be used to bring home two cosmonauts – sure to be a palm sweating event.

“If an emergency evacuation is necessary, Francisco Rubio will return to Earth on it, and Roscosmos cosmonauts on the Soyuz MS-22,” according to the official Telegram channel of the State Corporation Roscosmos. “The descent of two astronauts instead of three will be safer, as it will help reduce the temperature and humidity in the Soyuz MS-22.”

“After Soyuz MS-23 arrives on the ISS, the seats of all three cosmonauts, including Francisco Rubio, will be transferred to it,” the Telegram posting from Roscosmos explains.