Roscosmos officials, led by the executive director for manned space programs, indicate that the skin of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft may have sustained damage from a micrometeorite impact. The assessment remains ongoing as teams review telemetry and physical indicators from the spacecraft while the agency tracks any potential effects on systems aboard the vehicle.
According to Roscosmos, the leak could stem from a micrometeor entering the radiator circuit. If confirmed, the incident could alter the temperature balance within the instrument compartment and the assembly area of the Soyuz spacecraft. This would necessitate careful monitoring of thermal conditions and adjustments to keep critical equipment within safe operating ranges.
At this stage, a group of specialists is analyzing how the leak might influence the instrument and assembly compartments, as well as the overall health of the ship. Simultaneously, engineers are keeping a close eye on the heat balance, ensuring that any shifts in temperature do not compromise onboard systems or crew safety.
The head of Roscosmos reaffirmed that the astronauts aboard remain out of danger and that work to understand and mitigate the issue continues without interruption. The ongoing evaluation aims to provide a clear picture of the spacecraft’s status and what steps are required to safeguard mission objectives.
Earlier communications from Roscosmos indicated that the leak on the Soyuz MS-22 did not compromise the International Space Station’s condition or its immediate operations. While this reassurance was issued, the event prompted a thorough review of the spacecraft’s docking configuration and its long-term resilience under space environment conditions.
In a related development, Russian cosmonauts Sergei Prokopiev and Dmitry Petelin were unable to undertake a second spaceflight mission aboard the International Space Station due to technical issues linked to the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, which remained docked to the station. A NASA broadcast captured evidence of a fluid leak from the vehicle, prompting further scrutiny of the life-support and cooling subsystems and how they interact with the docking interface. These observations underscore the importance of continuous readiness and the ability to respond rapidly to anomalies that can arise in low-Earth orbit.