“Soyuz MS-23” was launched into space, it will replace the emergency module
A rocket was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Friday, which will deliver the Soyuz MS-23 unmanned spacecraft to the International Space Station. It will replace the Soyuz MS-22, which was damaged in an accident. The current crew of the ISS – Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitry Petelin, as well as NASA astronaut Frank Rubio – will be able to return to Earth on it if necessary. Soyuz is scheduled to dock with the ISS on Sunday, February 26.
According to Roscosmos, the launch of the ship into orbit and separation from the third stage of the rocket, as well as the opening of the antennas and solar panels, went smoothly.
On December 16 of last year, it became known that the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked to the ISS experienced an increase in temperature. Roscosmos reported a leak in the cooling system. As the alleged cause of the breakdown, Roscosmos cited the impact of a micrometeorite from the Hemenid stream into the external radiator.
The executive director of manned space programs of Roscosmos, pilot-cosmonaut Sergey Krykalyov characterized the leak as serious. He admitted that in case of deterioration of the situation, the crew will have to evacuate. However, the cosmonauts later reported that the situation was under control.
On February 11, another incident occurred – the depressurization of the Progress MS-21 cargo spacecraft, which was also docked to the ISS. The module was isolated from the main volume of the station.
