Roscosmos leadership has outlined a continuing scientific agenda for the orbital outpost, with new activity planned in the mid to late spring window. The head of the agency confirmed that the next significant milestone would occur during the April to May period, reinforcing the commitment to keep the International Space Station program progressing. The statement came at a briefing held at the Mission Control Center, following the docking of the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft with the ISS. The emphasis was on sustaining the scientific program while accommodating the operational schedule at the station.
A notable objective discussed for the upcoming April to May window is a planned spacewalk to outfit the Nauka module. This activity is framed as a key step in expanding the station’s capabilities and ensuring the module can operate with all its systems online. The timing aligns with continuous maintenance and upgrade work already underway as part of Russia’s ongoing contributions to the ISS assembly and life-support infrastructure.
The previous spacewalk conducted under the Russian program occurred in November of the prior year. During that EVA, cosmonauts Sergei Prokopiev and Dmitry Petelin performed tasks to support station operations and prepare for subsequent activities. The crew had to execute additional tasks from the exterior of the station and made adjustments in response to a cooling system issue that affected the spacecraft’s depressurization safety parameters. These experiences informed later planning and underscored the importance of robust systems for long-duration missions.
The Soyuz MS-23 vehicle, which is expected to carry the assigned crew back to Earth and replace the damaged Soyuz MS-22, was scheduled for a February return plan and successfully docked at the Poisk module of Russia’s segment on the International Space Station. The docking marks a significant point in the ongoing sequence of dockings and undockings that support crew rotation, resupply, and scientific experiments, all under the umbrella of multinational cooperation aboard the ISS.
Across these developments, the overall trajectory remains focused on maintaining a stable operational tempo for crewed missions, ensuring continued access to the station for research, technology demonstrations, and international collaboration. The Russian program continues to emphasize readiness for EVA operations, system maintenance, and the integration of upgraded hardware, all while coordinating with partner agencies to sustain a resilient orbital research platform. In the months ahead, engineers and astronauts will advance preparations for the Nauka module’s functionality, test life-support subsystems, and validate compatibility with the broader ISS architecture. The successful docking of MS-23 and the planning of the April-May spacewalk illustrate a careful balance between risk management, scientific ambition, and international partnership in low-Earth orbit.