RIA Novosti: the accelerated dispatch of the Soyuz rescue ship to the ISS will take a month

The accelerated dispatch of the Soyuz rescue ship to the International Space Station (ISS) to replace the damaged Soyuz MS-22 will take Roscosmos about one month, but the decision has not yet been made, informs RIA Novosti, citing a source.

“Decisions on accelerated preparations for sending the Soyuz MS-23 to the International Space Station in connection with the accident on the Soyuz MS-22 have not yet been made. If a decision is made, the ship’s preparation time can be reduced to one month, ”the source said, adding that two ships are now at Baikonur: Soyuz MS-23 and Soyuz MS-24.

On December 15, Roskosmos reported damage to the skin of the spacecraft, due to which pressure in the cooling system dropped on the Soyuz MS-22. Later, the state corporation noted that the damage could have been caused by a micrometeorite entering the radiator. The source of “RIA Novosti” said that the temperature in the ship reached +50 degrees, in “Roskosmos” refuted these messages.

“On Friday, specialists from the Mission Control Center, together with the astronauts on board the ISS, conducted a number of tests of the systems of the Soyuz MS-22 manned spacecraft, including measuring the temperature in the spacecraft’s living space (descent module and utility compartment), where the temperature was about +30 degrees Celsius. This is a slight change in the temperature regime,” the state corporation explained.

December 17 at the press service of Roscosmos toldthat the flight of the Russian segment of the ISS continues normally, nothing threatens the life and health of the cosmonauts, and specialists constantly monitor and analyze the functioning of the systems of the Russian segment and the Soyuz after the depressurization of the radiator of the spacecraft’s external temperature control system that occurred on December 15. The state corporation announced a meeting at the end of December, at which decisions on further actions will be made.

In addition, Baikonur continues preparations for the launch of the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft, which was scheduled for March. “If necessary, it can be accelerated to send it to the ISS at an earlier date,” the message says.