Soyuz MS-22: Roscosmos and NASA's final decision to rescue the crew

Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked at Rassvet module

Soyuz MS-22: the decision of the state commission

On December 15, there was a depressurization of the external contour of the radiator of the thermal control system of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft. The version of technical damage to the radiator during manufacture is not confirmed. It has been experimentally proven that damage to the radiator pipeline occurred as a result of a meteoroid impact. The hole diameter is less than 1 mm.

Leak Observed during mid December

Experts concluded: Soyuz MS-22 should descend to Earth without a crew.

Launch of Soyuz MS-23 on February 20, 2023 in unmanned mode.

ERA robotic arm accessed from ISS, to study the impact area of Soyuz MS-22

It was previously planned that Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub and NASA astronaut Loral O'Hara would go to the station on March 16 on this ship.

The expedition of Sergei Prokopiev, Dmitry Petelin and Francisco Rubio to the ISS is being extended. They will return to Earth on Soyuz MS-23.