WASHINGTON — NASA is delaying a spacewalk on the Worldwide House Station by two days to help the Russian investigation right into a coolant leak on a Soyuz spacecraft docked there.
In a press release late Dec. 16, NASA introduced {that a} spacewalk by astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio, beforehand scheduled for Dec. 19, can be pushed again to Dec. 21. The spacewalk is the second of two deliberate to put in a brand new set of photo voltaic arrays on the station, following one Dec. 3.
NASA mentioned the postponement would permit flight controllers to make use of the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to examine the outside of the Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft docked there. That spacecraft suffered a coolant leak late Dec. 14, canceling a Russian spacewalk that was about to begin. The “majority” of the coolant in that loop within the spacecraft leaked out by 1:30 p.m. Jap Dec. 15, NASA mentioned.
Each the reason for the leak and its severity stay unsure. The Canadarm2 observations are supposed to increase these carried out hours after the leak by the European Robotic Arm connected to the Nauka module on the station’s Russian section. These observations have been reportedly inconclusive in figuring out the supply of the leak.
Regardless of the lack of expertise concerning the supply of the leak, Roscosmos officers have speculated it was brought on by a micrometeoroid impression. In a Dec. 16 statement posted by Roscosmos on Telegram, a social media service, Viktor Voropaev, lead engineer on the Keldysh Institute of Utilized Arithmetic, mentioned he believed an impression by a micrometeoid linked to the Geminid meteor bathe was the “major suspect” for the leak. He supplied no different proof to help that conclusion.
Roscosmos additionally denied a report in Russian media Dec. 16 that temperatures within the Soyuz spacecraft rose as excessive as 50 levels Celsius after the lack of coolant. Temperatures within the spacecraft are as a substitute about 30 levels Celsius, which Roscosmos described as solely a “slight change” and don’t pose a direct risk to the spacecraft or individuals on the station.
NASA, in its assertion, famous that Roscosmos carried out a take a look at of a thruster on the Soyuz Dec. 16. “The programs that have been examined have been nominal, and Roscosmos assessments of extra Soyuz programs proceed,” NASA acknowledged. “Temperatures and humidity throughout the Soyuz spacecraft, which stays docked to the Rassvet module, are inside acceptable limits.”
Whereas there could also be no instant hazard, there stay issues that the spacecraft could not be capable of return to Earth as at the moment deliberate in March 2023. Soyuz MS-22 launched to the station Sept. 21 with NASA’s Rubio and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin. The lack of coolant might have an effect on not simply circumstances for the individuals on board throughout its return to Earth but in addition laptop programs vital for working the spacecraft.
Choices embody working as-is, with the spacecraft and its crew returning in March; an early return of the Soyuz and its crew, leaving simply 4 individuals on the ISS till a brand new Soyuz might be launched; or launching the following Soyuz spacecraft, Soyuz MS-23, with out a crew to switch Soyuz MS-22. The final possibility would possible prolong the keep of Prokopyev, Petelin and Rubio till one other Soyuz is able to launch their replacements.
In a Dec. 17 post on Telegram, Roscosmos mentioned that working teams are persevering with to research the leak and make suggestions for subsequent steps. Selections on these subsequent steps are deliberate for a gathering on the finish of December.
Roscosmos added that preparations for the launch of Soyuz MS-23 proceed on the Baikonur Cosmodrome. “If essential, it may be accelerated to ship it to the ISS at an earlier date.”
