After US and Russian cosmonauts were left stranded on the Soyuz spacecraft, Roscosmos denies getting help from SpaceX.
Tech Times recently reported rumors that NASA was considering alternatives if Russia cannot launch another Soyuz spacecraft or decides that doing so would be too risky.
Initially, using SpaceX's Crew Dragon as a fallback option for the crew of the damaged Soyuz was one option that was being considered until Roscosmos finally set the record straight on their rescue mission.
According to RussianSpaceWeb, Roscosmos has rejected the idea of having Rubio return in a Dragon capsule while the cosmonauts would do it at a later time in a Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft.
The Soyuz program is currently the longest-running human spacecraft program in space exploration history, with its first space mission conducted way back in 1967.
The spacecraft typically weighs seven tons, measures 7.2 meters long, and has a diameter of 2.7 meters. The spacecraft can accommodate up to three astronauts at once and activate solar panels after launch.
Roscosmos Rescue Plan Update
An incident following a Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft required officials to consider alternative arrangements for the return of NASA astronaut Frank Rubio and a crew of two cosmonauts to Earth.
Given that NASA is no longer exclusively on Russian-built spacecraft to transport crews to the ailing orbiting outpost, Russia's refusal emphasizes an already tense relationship. The issue has developed decades into the station's long-running cooperation, which has persisted despite rising tensions back on Earth during the Ukraine War.
Futurism reports that the MS-22 spacecraft would return to Earth unmanned, while the MS-23 spacecraft would be despatched to the station the next month with just a single pilot aboard, leaving room for the two stranded cosmonauts.
What Happened to Cosmonauts on Soyuz MS-22?
The Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft, which is scheduled to return its crew of two cosmonauts and one American astronaut to Earth early next year, has a punctured coolant line on an external radiator.
According to Space, a critical fluid that controls the temperature of the crew compartment of the Soyuz spacecraft escaped during an incident on Dec. 14. The three-person team is currently aboard the MS-22 vehicle, and engineers in Moscow are considering whether to launch another Soyuz capsule to bring them back.
NASA was originally looking into whether SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft might be able to offer an alternative method of transportation home for some crew members of the International Space Station after a Russian spacecraft developed a coolant leak while attached to the orbital lab.
Although the origin of the leak aboard Soyuz MS-22 has not yet been identified, space debris or a micrometeoroid that was too small to be tracked could be to blame. A hole was discovered in the Soyuz radiator exterior during follow-up examinations.
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