Because the Soyuz capsule, which was supposed to bring three crew members back from the international space station next week, is damaged, Russia wants to send another spacecraft. There are also doubts about its safety. But now the space agency Roskosmos sets a launch date.
According to its own statements, the Russian space agency Roskosmos wants to send a spacecraft to the international space station ISS next Friday in order to bring three astronauts stuck there back to earth. Originally, the Russian cosmonauts Sergei Prokopjew and Dmitri Petelin and their US colleague Frank Rubio were supposed to fly back to Earth with the Soyuz MS-22. After a leak was discovered in the spacecraft's cooling system in mid-December, the astronauts who have been stationed on the ISS since September are now to be picked up by the Soyuz MS-23 instead.
The technicians had recommended a launch of the Soyuz MS-23 on February 24, said a Roscosmos spokesman. Initially, this rescue operation for the astronauts had already been scheduled for February 20th. However, the date was postponed after a coolant leak was also detected on a Russian supply ship docked with the ISS, according to Roscosmos. Since the damage to the transport ship and the Soyuz MS-22 was similar, Roscosmos had also stopped the rescue mission to ensure that the capsule used would not encounter any problems. The life and health of the ISS crew are not at risk, said Roscosmos boss Yuri Borissow.
Another spacecraft is available to transport the crew back from the ISS. At the end of January, the US space agency NASA selected a "Crew Dragon" docked at the ISS as a temporary emergency spacecraft. This was decided after discussions with its operator SpaceX, Elon Musk's private space company, in the event of an unforeseen emergency, NASA said at a press conference. The "Crew Dragon" spacecraft has a capacity of up to seven people and, according to SpaceX, is the first private vehicle to bring people to the ISS. It can also transport cargo.
