Borisov: reserve ship to replace Soyuz MS-22 will be ready for launch by February 19

The decision on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft with a faulty cooling system will be made approximately on December 27. This was stated by the general director of the state corporation “Roscosmos” Yuri Borisov. The reserve ship to replace the faulty Soyuz will be ready for launch by February 19, not March 16, he also said.

“If the situation develops along some other trajectory, then, of course, we have a backup option, we will have the ship prepared faster, instead of the planned March launch, we will prepare it somewhere by February 19, it is already at the Baikonur cosmodrome, it is undergoing all checks, ”said the head of Roscosmos on the air of the Rossiya 24 TV channel (quote from RIA Novosti).

He also told reporters that a preliminary inspection showed that the hole in the cooling system of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft was less than 1 mm. “A preliminary inspection showed that there is a small hole there – somewhere around 0.8 mm, which, in fact, led to depressurization,” said Yuri Borisov. He also said that the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, which had a leak from the cooling system, was in working condition. “The temperature is stable and has not risen more than 30 degrees. All these speculations that it rose more than 50 – this did not happen, ”said Mr. Borisov.

“The commission will decide what we will do. We have enough time for this, there is no hurry, at the end of December, I think, on the 27th, specialists (two working groups have now been formed) will decide how we will get out of this situation, ”said the head of Roskosmos. If the situation is controlled and the ship is operational, then it will be used for the regular return of the crew in March, he said.

December 17 became knownthat American astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) will go into outer space two days later than planned due to a leak on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft.

December 15 at Soyuz happened depressurization of the external circuit of the ship’s cooling system. Cause of damage could become micrometeorite impact. Then the source of “RIA Novosti” informedthat Roskosmos will need about one month to expedited shipment of the Soyuz spacecraft to the ISS to replace the damaged one.

Today, December 19, at Roskosmos declaredthat there is such a ship – this is the Soyuz MS-23, it has already undergone part of the training at the cosmodrome and can be launched into orbit 45 days after the emergency situation at the station.

“Roskosmos” earlier named the norm is 30-degree heat on the Soyuz MS-22. Then he informed on the decrease in temperature on the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft.

Maria Fedotova