Los astronautas rusos Sergei Prokopyev, Dmitry Petelin y el estadounidense Frank Rubio por fin podrán volver a la Tierra. Después de estar meses atrapados en la estación espacial, Rusia da luz verde para que el 20 de febrero se lance un nuevo cohete que sustituya a la nave dañada.
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Why have astronauts been trapped in the space station? According to Roscosmos (Russian space agency), on December 15 there was a depressurization of the external contour of the radiator of the thermal control system in the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft.
- The impact of a micrometeorite inferior to caused a fuel leak in the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft after a collision with the capsule. After several problems that prevented the cosmonauts from making a spacewalk, the ship had to be categorized as damaged and unable to make a return to planet Earth. For this reason, the Russian authorities have had to make a decision that readjusts the flight schedule.
- Everything was planned so that the Soyuz MS-22 astronauts would spend six months in space. The end of the mission was scheduled for March 28. During this time, the crew had to perform five spacewalks. On December 15, one of them was canceled for technical reasons. And now, on February 20, a new ship will fly to save the crew.
How will the launch of the new ship be executed? The Soyuz MS-2 flight has been postponed from March 15 to February 20, 2023, it will be carried out in unmanned mode.
- According to Yuri Borisov, head of the Russian state aeronautical corporation, he assured that “after an emergency situation with the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft at the station, two options for launching the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft were discussed: in manned mode with a cosmonaut or unmanned mode”. Finally, they opted for the option of traveling with the ship empty, since the training of the astronauts would not be possible before March.
- Negotiations were also made with the SpaceX company to use one of its rockets, but as it only had a capacity for four people, the option was ruled out. In total there are now seven people on board the International Space Station.
- What will happen to the damaged ship? When the crew members reach the ground, the MS-22 will return without any crew members inside. The objective is to prevent the ship from damaging the space station and to be able to recover the ship.
The context. This flight was the first under the agreement on cross flights to the ISS, concluded between Russia and the United States in July last year.
- As explained by the Russian national company, “the objective was to ensure that, in the event of an emergency situation related to the cancellation or a significant delay in the launch of a Russian or American spacecraft, they are present on board the International Space Station at least a Roscosmos cosmonaut and a NASA astronaut”. After the problems, this agreement has helped to react quickly.
Source: Lasexta
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
