Here’s what we know, and what we don’t, about the damaged Soyuz spacecraft

Since a Soyuz spacecraft started to leak coolant uncontrollably on Wednesday night time, flight controllers at Roscosmos, NASA, and different Worldwide House Station companions have been carefully learning information from the incident.

Though there isn’t a fast hazard to the seven astronauts on board the area station, this is likely one of the most severe incidents within the historical past of the orbiting laboratory, which has been constantly occupied for almost 1 / 4 of a century. Among the many most urgent questions: Is the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft protected to fly again to Earth? If not, when can a alternative, Soyuz MS-23, be flown up? And if there may be an emergency, what do the three crew members slated to fly house on MS-22 do within the meantime?

NASA has not held any briefings because the incident and has solely launched a reasonably bland replace on its weblog. However there’s a lot taking place behind the scenes, and this story will try to summarize what is understood—and what’s not—at the moment.

What is understood

Roscomos was by no means in a position to stanch the leak of the exterior cooling loop, so the leak solely stopped when there was no coolant left. Within the fast aftermath, Russian flight controllers tried to make use of the European robotic arm, hooked up to the Russian section of the station, to watch the aft finish of the Soyuz the place the leak occurred. This 11-meter arm didn’t present conclusive information.

Because of this, NASA will use the 17.6-meter-long Canadarm2—often known as the area station distant manipulator system—to get a better have a look at the Soyuz spacecraft. It is hoped that this visible inspection, prone to happen over the weekend, will present extra definitive info on the supply of the leak, its trigger, and whether or not different parts of the Soyuz spacecraft have been broken. To facilitate this work, NASA will delay a spacewalk deliberate for Monday by astronauts Frank Rubio and Josh Cassada.

In different diagnostic work, Roscosmos carried out a check of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft’s thrusters early on Friday morning to find out whether or not there have been any points with its propulsion system. This check, in keeping with sources, was nominal.

The most important concern, nonetheless, is the flight computer systems on board the Soyuz spacecraft overheating. They’re used to calculate a exact entry for the Soyuz to make sure it lands in a delegated space of Kazakhstan, close to restoration forces. With out the flight computer systems, the process must be executed manually. That is doable however removed from optimum, as the world through which the Soyuz may land could be huge.

In the course of the thruster check on Monday morning, the flight laptop did heat up, nevertheless it didn’t exceed temperature limits, in keeping with a supply. There was a speculative report within the Russian press that the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft reached an inside temperature of fifty levels Celsius, however Roscosmos stated this isn’t correct.