Two Russian and one American spaceman are stranded on the International Space Station because their Soyuz MS-22 capsule is damaged. Russia therefore sends a Soyuz MS-23 to bring the three back to Earth. If that also fails, Elon Musk’s company will come into play.
After a leak was discovered on a Russian Soyuz capsule, the US space agency NASA selected a “Crew Dragon” docked at the ISS as a temporary emergency spacecraft. NASA announced at a press conference that this was decided after discussions with its operator SpaceX, Elon Musk’s private space company, in the event of an unforeseen emergency.
The mini spacecraft “Crew Dragon” has a capacity of up to seven people and is, according to SpaceX, the first private vehicle to bring people to the ISS. It can also transport cargo.
Basically, according to NASA, the plan is still that the three astronauts – the two cosmonauts Sergei Prokopjew and Dmitri Petelin as well as NASA astronaut Frank Rubio – return from the International Space Station ISS with a Russian replacement spacecraft, the Soyuz MS-23 earth should fly. This is likely to take place in late September 2023 – instead of March as originally planned.
The three astronauts came to the ISS in the Soyuz MS-22 capsule last September. A leak was then discovered on this in December, which according to experts was caused by the impact of a micrometeorite. Now, on February 20, the Soyuz MS-23 is to be sent to the ISS from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan as a replacement spacecraft. The previously damaged Soyuz MS-22 will fly back to Earth unmanned after some rearrangement work.
In addition, “Crew 6” – consisting of two US astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates – is to start from the USA to the ISS between mid and late February. Shortly thereafter, “Crew 5” – NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, Russian cosmonaut Anna Kikina and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata – will return to Earth.
(This article was first published on Wednesday, January 18, 2023.)
