Two Russian cosmonauts and a US astronaut will remain on the ISS until September, delaying their return from March. The Roscosmos capsule returned with 218 kg (481 lb) of cargo, including scientific experiments’ results and equipment for future missions. Despite tensions, Washington and Moscow cooperate in space, with astronauts working together at the ISS. Russia plans to leave the ISS and create its independent space station in the future, with details unknown. The ISS has been occupied for over 20 years under a U.S.-Russian-led partnership, with Canada, Japan, and 11 European countries included. In a separate event, a Russian Soyuz MS-22 capsule, which experienced coolant leakage last December, returned without a crew after three months. The capsule landed in the Kazakh steppe on Tuesday afternoon, with Roscosmos broadcasting the landing online.
A Soyuz MS-22 capsule, which experienced coolant leakage last December, has landed back on Earth after three months. The capsule landed in the Kazakh steppe on Tuesday afternoon, several hundred kilometers from Russia’s Baikonur cosmodrome, where the country’s space launches take place. The module returned without a crew from the International Space Station (ISS) and completed the nearly two-hour journey. A 0.8mm hole in the capsule’s outer skin caused the significant coolant leak, which was likely caused by a tiny meteorite piercing the structure while it was docked, according to experts. Images from the exterior of the ISS revealed coolant fluid spewing into space, while temperatures inside the capsule rose to 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit) at one point. The leaks forced Roscosmos and NASA to reschedule and delay space walks.
The Russian space agency, Roscosmos, broadcasted the landing online, and a backup capsule, the MS-23, was sent to the ISS last month to replace the MS-22. Roscosmos brought the damaged MS-22 capsule back to Earth without a crew. This event highlights the importance of routine maintenance and repairs for space equipment, as well as the risks associated with space exploration.
Two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut will remain on the International Space Station (ISS) until September, delaying their return from March. Despite low relations, Washington and Moscow continue to cooperate in space with astronauts working together at the ISS. The Roscosmos capsule returned on Tuesday with 218 kg (481 lb) of cargo, including equipment for future missions and scientific experiments that will be analysed on Earth. The ISS, which orbits about 400 km above Earth, has been occupied continuously for over 20 years under a U.S.-Russian partnership that includes Canada, Japan, and 11 European countries. Russia has announced its plan to leave the ISS and create its independent space station in the future, but the specifics of when and how remain unknown.
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