Photographs of the exterior of the Soyuz MS-22 manned transport spacecraft allowed Roscosmos experts to identify a potential damage site.
“Today an examination of the spacecraft’s outer surface was conducted. Based on visuals from Earth, a possible damage area was located in the instrument-aggregate compartment. Experts continue to analyze the collected data,” stated a Roscosmos representative via Telegram.
Roscosmos noted that the ship’s temperature remains within normal limits and has fallen slightly.
Earlier reports from RIA Novosti, citing a source, claimed that onboard temperature rose to 50 degrees Celsius. Roscosmos countered this, confirming a range of roughly 28 to 30 degrees Celsius.
“What impact does this have on the crew? It does not pose a risk. Soyuz family ships have orbited the Earth since 1966 and have demonstrated reliability and survivability for decades. The latest generation, Soyuz MS, continues to deliver crews to the ISS, return them to Earth, and serve as an emergency evacuation option if required. There is currently no need for evacuation,” Roscosmos emphasized.
“Not a very pleasant situation”
In a later interview with Izvestia, Yuri Borisov, head of the state space agency, explained that the hole in the cooling system is smaller than one millimeter in size.
“There are two circuits: internal and external. The event occurred in the instrument-aggregate compartment. A preliminary check showed a small hole of about 0.8 mm that caused a pressure drop,” he noted.
Borisov added that the Soyuz MS-22 remains operational and that the crew’s safety is not threatened. “The Soyuz MS-22 system is functioning. Engines were tested on December 16 to ensure proper operation. The situation is not encouraging, but the ship remains under control.”
evacuation of astronauts
Looking ahead, a backup spacecraft could be sent to the ISS to bring astronauts back to Earth. The backup would be ready for launch on February 19, not March 16 as originally planned, Borisov indicated.
There is also the possibility that the damaged ship could still be used to land the crew on Earth if the situation is under control and confidence in the vessel remains high.
“As planned, a regular landing for the crew is scheduled for March,” stated the Roscosmos chief.
Future action decisions regarding the damaged ship will be announced soon. Roscosmos clarified that reports of a fully ready reserve ship being launched within hours to evacuate the ISS crew were not accurate.
what happened on the ship
On December 15, the outer surface of the Soyuz MS-22 instrument compartment, which connected with the ISS, sustained damage. The depressurization led to the cancellation of a planned spacewalk by Sergei Prokopiev and Dmitry Petelin. The crew reported that the ship’s diagnostic system warning device was active, noting a sharp cooling-system pressure drop. NASA footage showed jets of coolant spilling from the vehicle.
NASA announced plans to study the craft with the Canadarm-2 robotic arm. Cosmonaut Anna Kikina captured photos and videos of the spacecraft’s exterior using the ERA manipulator, enabling Earth-based experts to investigate the causes of the incident.
A few days later, Sergei Krikalev, Roscosmos’ director of human space flight programs, suggested that a micrometeorite striking a radiator could have damaged the hull. The damage location is near the radiator of the cooling system adjacent to the solar cell control unit.