The damaged “Soyuz MS-22” spacecraft will return in March|Innovative Connection·Russia

The Russian National Aerospace Corporation announced that the damaged “Soyuz MS-22” manned spacecraft will break away from the International Space Station in March and return to Earth in unmanned mode.

　　The spacecraft will not carry astronauts, and the unmanned Soyuz will bring cargo and scientific equipment back to Earth, the source said. Russian cosmonauts Prokopyev, Petelin and Kikina on the International Space Station have prepared the Soyuz spacecraft for departure.

　　Roscosmos previously stated that the Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft, which was originally scheduled to launch on March 16, will head to the International Space Station on February 20. The spacecraft will fly in unmanned mode in order to pick up members of the expedition team of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft.

　　On December 15, 2022, the cooling circuit of the Soyuz MS-22 manned spacecraft was depressurized and refrigerant leaked from it. Experts believe that the cooling system failed. Borisov, president of the Russian National Aerospace Corporation, said that the perforation on the spacecraft’s radiator is about 0.8 mm in size, and the culprit is the occasional meteor.

　　(Source of manuscripts for this column: Sputnik News Agency, editor: Dong Yingbi, our reporter in Russia)